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Motivation Quote by Martina Navratilova

"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed"

About this Quote

Navratilova lands this joke like a clean winner: it’s funny because it’s grim, and it’s grim because it’s true. Ham and eggs is breakfast-country comfort, but she weaponizes it into a moral test. The chicken can show up, contribute, still walk away. The pig turns participation into point-of-no-return. That sharp swap from cozy diner imagery to bodily stake is the whole engine of the line: it forces you to feel, not just understand, the gap between saying you’re in and actually being in.

As an athlete’s line, it reads less like philosophy and more like locker-room clarity. Sports culture is full of “we’re all in” talk that costs nothing until the match, the injury, the contract, the public loss. Navratilova’s subtext is accountability: don’t confuse proximity with sacrifice, attendance with risk. In a world that rewards performative enthusiasm, she’s drawing a bright line between the person who helps and the person who pays.

There’s also an edge of self-portrait here. Navratilova’s career wasn’t merely “involved” in tennis; it demanded defection from Czechoslovakia, living under scrutiny, and later, outspoken activism that alienated sponsors and fans. The quip’s bite comes from experience: commitment isn’t a vibe, it’s a cost center. The joke works because it refuses to let “team player” be a costume. It asks the uncomfortable question every project, relationship, and movement eventually faces: who’s the chicken, and who’s the pig?

Quote Details

TopicMotivational
Source
Later attribution: Move or Die (Chris Carlisle, 2022) modern compilationISBN: 9781641467438 · ID: QwtwEAAAQBAJ
Text match: 95.00%   Provider: Google Books
Evidence:
... The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs . The chicken is involved ; the pig is committed . -Martina Navratilova To make sure we are on the same page as far how I am using the term " committed , " I love ...
Other candidates (1)
Martina Navratilova (Martina Navratilova) compilation33.6%
ats the difference you cant take it with you the toys get different thats all the rich guys buy a football team the p...
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Navratilova, Martina. (2026, January 13). The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-difference-between-involvement-and-commitment-164235/

Chicago Style
Navratilova, Martina. "The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed." FixQuotes. January 13, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-difference-between-involvement-and-commitment-164235/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed." FixQuotes, 13 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-difference-between-involvement-and-commitment-164235/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova (born October 18, 1956) is a Athlete from USA.

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