What Is Your Incentive?

The word comes from the Latin incentivum — that which sets the tune. From incinere: in, into; canere, to sing. It means to set the pitch. To begin the song.

An incentive is a motivating force that moves someone toward a specific action. It can be material, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual. In economic language, it refers to a reward or consequence that influences behavior. In a broader sense, it is the internal or external stimulus that activates desire and decision. Incentive answers a simple question: why act.

Most people inherit their incentives wi...