What does the phrase 'carrot and stick' mean?

Deja Q

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:05 PM
Original message

What does the phrase 'carrot and stick' mean?

I've heard this phrase before; 'the carrot and the stick'.

What's it mean?

Thx!

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Gothic Sponge

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:06 PM
Response to Original message

1. To make a horse or donkey move

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redqueen

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:07 PM
Response to Original message

2. Motivation techniques

Persuasive - carrot
Coercive - stick

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MrScorpio

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:07 PM
Response to Original message

3. If you want a mule to move forward you dangle a carrot in front of him

Edited on Tue Aug-10-04 06:08 PM by MrScorpio

It's better than beating his ass with the stick

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Book Lover

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:08 PM
Response to Original message

4. You can either

use the stick and maybe get what you want through coercion, or you can use the carrot and more likely get what you want through persuasion.

However, with repukes, I'm all for the stick.

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Tardisian

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:08 PM
Response to Original message

5. Tie a carrrot

in front of a donkey...that's it's incentive to move. If it doesn't move, hit it with the stick.
Seems we're needing to use the stick a lot more these days.

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Deja Q

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:22 PM
Response to Reply #5

10. Thanks y'all! Now what if the donkey realizes he's never going to get the

carrot?

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XanaDUer

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:23 PM
Response to Reply #10

11. He never does

Edited on Tue Aug-10-04 06:25 PM by LibertyChick

usually. He keeps plodding along, trying to make his way over to that carrot, the stick keeps it away...

like moron-Americans who beleive Bush is helping them if they earn less than one bazillion dollars a year.

EDIT:Typo due to watching Will and Grace while typing.

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Deja Q

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Tue Aug-10-04 07:49 PM
Response to Reply #11

15. Or, in other terms, exploitation.

I've something new to consider...

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XanaDUer

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Tue Aug-10-04 08:00 PM
Response to Reply #15

16. I think of it more like manipulation,

You hold out a promise to someone who wants it (the carrot to the donkey), to get them to do something you want (pull a cart), but you make sure to keep the ultimate thing they want (carrot), out of reach, but just close enough (couple of feet away on a stick) to *seem* they will get it if they continue on the path you want them on.

If you don't mind, and if it is not too personal, is someone doing something to manipulate you?

:shrug:

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phiddle

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:13 PM
Response to Original message

6. Reward and Punishment

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XanaDUer

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:13 PM
Response to Original message

7. My take

Edited on Tue Aug-10-04 06:18 PM by LibertyChick

the carrot is a lure to get the donkey to move forward. He is moving forward 'cause he wants that carrot.

However, 'cause of the stick, he will never get it. It will always be tantalizingly out of his reach.

Here is one for the Freepers:

Lowering taxes on the wealthy is a carrot-and-stick technique: the carrot is, you will someday yourselves be rich, so you go along with lower taxes, but you never seem to get there because the game is rigged to beat the average person.

That is carrot and stick.

PS-the stick keeps it out of the donkey's reach, not to hit him with.

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Karenina

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:16 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. That was how I learned it!

GO GIRL! :toast:

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XanaDUer

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:17 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. Thank you very much.

(Elvis voice)

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demwing

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:39 PM
Response to Reply #7

12. Thats an interesting take

But perhaps not so common?

I think the standard definition is the persuasion/coercion one, since the phrase is supposed to describe opposite methods of motivation, where as yours describes a method of manipulation.

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Shakespeare

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Tue Aug-10-04 06:51 PM
Response to Reply #12

13. I don't know about common, but it's the original meaning.

What she describes is exactly the original meaning--I think most of us have even seen the illustrations of a carrot dangling from a stick, just out of reach of the donkey's mouth.

It may (or may not) have been ameliorated into the definition you give, but the "carrot and stick" approach was definitely one of manipulation.

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XanaDUer

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Tue Aug-10-04 07:45 PM
Response to Reply #12

14. Maybe.

That's how I learned it.

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arwalden

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Tue Aug-10-04 08:01 PM
Response to Original message

17. I Know One Meaning... But I Can't Tell You Publicly

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