Dance like it hurts. Love like you need money. Work when people are watching. -- Dogbert's Motto

Framed as “Dogbert’s Motto,” the line parodies earnest self-help aphorisms (“Dance like nobody’s watching,” “Love like you’ve never been hurt,” etc.) by inverting them into cynical, incentive-driven advice. “Dance like it hurts” replaces carefree abandon with discomfort; “Love like you need money” reduces intimacy to transaction; “Work when people are watching” mocks performative productivity and office politics. The humor comes from recognizing how social approval, pain avoidance, and financial motives often shape behavior more than idealistic slogans admit—an outlook consistent with Dogbert’s satirical, manipulative persona in Dilbert.