What does the term, "sticks and carrots" mean?

Answer 1

Tie a carrot to a stick and put it in front of a donkey. The donkey moves.

Answer 2

Entities tend to go toward good things and avoid bad things. So holding a carrot in front of a donkey or horse tends to make him move that way and hitting it with a stick tends to make him avoid that direction.

So using both methods to manipulate people to go in the direction you want is called "carrot and stick."

Answer 3

It's referring to how you persuade someone - either using the "stick" (something punitive or negative, forcing them to do it), or the "carrot" (something positive or rewarding, offering them a gain).
That used to be the classic way to get a donkey to move - either hit it with a stick or hang a carrot in front of it.

Answer 4

It is an analogy used to describe the desire you want for something but you are not going to get it. To motive a horse and carriage, they put a carrot tied to the end of a long stick. They hold it in front of the horse's nose, he smells it, wants it and tries to get it. The end result is the horseman gets what he wants but the horse doesn't. He continues on never realizing how futile it really is.

Answer 5

Dangle a carrot in front of an elephant smack his *ss with a stick and you still won't get anywhere. Dumb dumb creatures!!! Well at least the American ones are. I wouldn't want to paint Asian or African elephants with the same bush oops I mean brush

Answer 6

it suppose to relates to the donkey ........ you used the stick when he's bad ........ you reward him with the carrot when he's good ........ when used politically ........ you punish, sanction or go to war against country to get them to comply with your demand ........ and when they do ............. you rewards them with aid ........ arms ......... grains ..... etc

Answer 7

Everybody knows that, punishment and reward.