P. T. Barnum Quotes:

Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.

source: - P. T. Barnum (1999). “Art of Money Getting”, p.43, Applewood Books

Topics: Men, Brave, Favors

Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience.

Topics: Money, Values, Good Money, Success And Money, Value Of Money

Money is in some respects life's fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.

Topics: Money, Fire, Excellent

A lovely nook of forest scenery, or a grand rock, like a beautiful woman, depends for much of its attractiveness upon the attendance sense of freedom from whatever is low; upon a sense of purity and of romance.

Topics: Beautiful, Rocks, Romance, Beautiful Scenery

Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing.

Topics: Littles, Advertising, Dangerous, Copywriting

Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity.

Topics: Expression, Interesting, Humanity

Without promotion, something terrible happens... nothing!

Topics: Action, Promotion, Terrible

The noblest art is that of making others happy

Topics: Art, Art Is

Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business. Large stores, gilt signs, flaming advertisements, will all prove unavailing if you or your employees treat your patrons abruptly. The truth is, the more kind and liberal a man is, the more generous will be the patronage bestowed upon him.

Topics: Men, Kind, Truth Is, Patron, Patronage

Energy and patience in business are two indispensable elements of success.

Topics: Two, Elements, Energy

If you hesitate, some bolder hand will stretch out before you and get the prize.

source: - P. T. Barnum (1999). “Art of Money Getting”, p.40, Applewood Books

Topics: Hands, Prize

Every crowd has a silver lining.

Topics: Business, Crowds, Silver

The foundation of success in life is good health: that is the substratum fortune; it is also the basis of happiness. A person cannot accumulate a fortune very well when he is sick.

Topics: Life Is Good, Sick, Foundation

A penny here, and a dollar there, placed at interest, goes on accumulating, and in this way the desired result is attained. It requires some training, perhaps, to accomplish this economy, but when once used to it, you will find there is more satisfaction in rational saving than in irrational spending.

Topics: Training, Dollars, Goes On

Nothing draws a crowd quite like a crowd.

Topics: Crowds, Draws

There is no class of people in the world, who have such good memories as creditors.

Topics: Memories, Class, People, Creditors

If I shoot at the sun, I may hit a star.

Topics: Stars, Sun, May

More persons, on the whole, are humbugged by believing in nothing, than by believing too much.

Topics: Believe, Too Much, Persons

Unless a man enters upon the vocation intended for him by nature, and best suited to his peculiar genius, he cannot succeed.

Topics: Men, Succeed, Peculiar

There's a sucker born every minute.

Topics: Writing, Minutes, Born

You must exercise your caution in laying your plans, but be bold in carrying them out.

Topics: Exercise, Caution, Plans

The truth is, the more kind and liberal a man is, the more generous will be the patronage bestowed upon him.

Topics: Men, Kind, Truth Is

Clowns are the pegs on which the circus is hung.

source: - Tampa Bay Magazine, Volume 5, No. 1, January/February 1990.

Topics: Circus, Clown, Peg

To forgive heals the wound, to forget heals the scar.

Topics: Forgiving, Scar, Forget

In the United States, where we have more land than people, it is not at all difficult for persons in good health to make money.

Topics: Land, People, United States

Politics and government are certainly among the most important of practical human interests.

Topics: Government, Important, Interest

Never attempt to catch a whale with a minnow.

Topics: Whales, Publicity, Minnows

If I was not a remarkably modest man, I should probably brag a little, and say that I had done what no American ever before accomplished by visiting the queen at her palace twice within eight days.

Topics: Queens, Humility, Men

I would rather hear the pleased laugh of a child over some feature of my exhibition than receive as I did the flattering compliments of the Prince of Wales.

Topics: Children, Laughing, Exhibitions, Wales

The best kind of charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves.

source: - P. T. Barnum (1999). “Art of Money Getting”, p.86, Applewood Books

Topics: Charity, Helping, Kind

Science is the pursuit of pure truth, and the systematizing of it.

Topics: Pursuit

The orthodox faith painted God as a revengeful being, and yet people talk about loving such a being.

Topics: People, Atheism, Orthodox, Revengeful

Money-getters are the benefactors of our race. To them ... are we indebted for our institutions of learning, and of art, our academies, colleges and churches.

Topics: Art, Business, College, Benefactors

There is no greater picture than that of 10,000 smiling children. No brighter music than their clear-ringing laughter. That I, with my small amusements, have created such precious art is my life's proudest achievement.

Topics: Art, Children, Laughter

I am prouder of my title 'The Children's Friend' than if I were to be called 'The King of the World'.

Topics: Kings, Children, World

In fact, as a general thing, money-getters are the benefactors of our race.

Topics: Race, Facts, Benefactors

But however mysterious is nature , however ignorant the doctor, however imperfect the present state of physical science , the patronage and the success of quacks and quackeries are infinitely more wonderful than those of honest and laborious men of science and their careful experiments.

source: - P. T. Barnum (2013). “The Humbugs of the World”, p.149, Lulu.com

Topics: Men, Doctors, Ignorant, Quacks, Patronage

There is a fool born every minute

Topics: Fool, Born, Minutes

True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear the old clothes a little longer if necessary; dispense with the new pair of gloves; mend the old dress: live on plainer food if need be; so that, under all circumstances, unless some unforeseen accident occurs, there will be a margin in favor of the income.

Topics: Clothes, Income, Needs, Old Clothes, Unforeseen

The wonders of the ages assembled for your edification, education and enjoyment - for a price.

Topics: Age, Edification, Wonder

There is no such thing in the world as luck. There never was a man who could go out in the morning and find a purse full of gold in the street to-day, and another to-morrow, and so on, day after day: He may do so once in his life; but so far as mere luck is concerned, he is as liable to lose it as to find it.

Topics: Morning, Men, Luck

Witchcraft is one of the most baseless, absurd, disgusting and silly of all the humbugs.

Topics: Silly, Absurd, Witchcraft, Humbug

There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt.

Topics: Debt, Drag, Persons

The common man, no matter how sharp and tough, actually enjoys having the wool pulled over his eyes, and makes it easier for the puller.

Topics: Eye, Men, Wool, Public Life

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.

source: - P.T. Barnum (2016). “The Art of Money Getting”, p.27, BookRix

Topics: Motivational, Work, Persistence

Without publicity a terrible thing happens: nothing.

Topics: Judging, Publicity, Terrible

Medicine is the means by which we poor feeble creatures try to keep from dying or aching.

Topics: Mean, Medicine, Trying

No man has a right to expect to succeed in life unless he understands his business, and nobody can understand his business thoroughly unless he learns it by personal application and experience.

Topics: Men, Succeed, Application

A penny here, and a dollar there, placed at interest, goes on accumulating, and in this way the desired result is attained.

Topics: Rainy Day, Goes On, Way

The plan of "counting the chickens before they are hatched" is an error of ancient date, but it does not seem to improve by age.

Topics: Errors, Age, Doe

Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business.

Topics: Business, Civility, Politeness

Men, women, and children who cannot live on gravity alone need something to satisfy their gayer, lighter moods and hours, and he who ministers to this want is, in my opinion, in a business established by the Creator of our nature. If he worthily fulfills his mission and amuses without corrupting, he need never feel that he has lived in vain.

Topics: Children, Men, Needs, Lighters

As a general thing, I have not 'duped the world' nor attempted to do so... I have generally given people the worth of their money twice told.

Topics: People, World, Given

The show business has all phases and grades of dignity, from the exhibition of a monkey to the exposition of that highest art in music or the drama which secures for the gifted artists a world-wide fame princes well might envy.

Topics: Art, Drama, Envy

Every man should make his son or daughter learn some useful trade or profession, so that in these days of changing fortunes of being rich today and poor tomorrow they may have something tangible to fall back upon. This provision might save many persons from misery, who by some unexpected turn of fortune have lost all their means.

Topics: Daughter, Mother, Fall, Being Rich, Unexpected Turns

Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done.

Topics: Mean, Independence, Mind

Let your motto then always be 'Excelsior', for by living up to it there is no such word as fail.

Topics: Business, Failing, Motto

Constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value, which would escape him if his brain was occupied by a dozen different subjects at once.

Topics: Home, Men, Brain, Different Subjects, Undivided Attention

How were the receipts today in Madison Square Garden ?

Topics: Garden, Squares, Today, Madison, Receipts

We cannot all see alike, but we can all do good.

Topics: Good Service

Advertising is to a genuine article what manure is to land, - it largely increases the product.

Topics: Land, Advertising, Increase, Manure

The possession of a perfect knowledge of your business is an absolute necessity in order to insure success.

Topics: Order, Perfect, Possession

The bigger the humbug, the better people will like it.

Topics: People, Bigger, Humbug

Your success depends on what you do yourself, with your own means

Topics: Dream, Mean, Dream Job

No man ever went broke overestimating the ignorance of the American public.

Topics: Ignorance, Men, Broke

I am indebted to the press of the United States for almost every dollar which I possess...

Topics: United States, Dollars, States, Indebted

I don't care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.

Topics: Names, Long, Care

I am a showman by profession... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me.

Topics: Profession

The desire for wealth is nearly universal, and none can say it is not laudable, provided the possessor of it accepts its responsibilities, and uses it as a friend to humanity.

Topics: Responsibility, Humanity, Desire

To me there is no picture so beautiful as smiling, bright-eyed, happy children; no music so sweet as their clear and ringing laughter.

Topics: Beautiful, Sweet, Laughter, Happy Children

He who is without a newspaper is cut off from his species.

Topics: Cutting, Newspapers, Species

You know I had rather be laughed at than not to be noticed at all…

Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed, or until you conclude to abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched.

source: - P. T. Barnum (2006). “Art of Money Getting: Easyread Edition”, p.27, ReadHowYouWant.com

Topics: Home, Lasts, Succeed

Every man's occupation should be beneficial to his fellow-man as well as profitable to himself. All else is vanity and folly.

source: - P.T. BARNUM (1866). “THE HUMBUGS OF THE WORLD”, p.220

Topics: Men, Vanity, Fellow Man

I think it is conceded that I generally do pretty big things as a manager, am audacious in my outlays and risks, give much for little money, and make my shows worthy the support of the moral and refined classes.

Topics: Thinking, Class, Giving, Conceded, Little Money

There's one born every minute.

Topics: Born, Minutes

Many people are gullible, and we can expect this to continue.

Topics: People, Gullible

You can fool most of the people most of the time.

Topics: People, Fool

There's no such thing as bad publicity.

Topics: Advertising Business, Publicity, Public Relations, Irish Proverbs, Obituary

Many persons are always kept poor, because they are too visionary. Every project looks to them like certain successes, and therefore they keep changing from one business to another, always in hot water, always ‘under the harrow’.

source: - P. T. Barnum (2006). “Art of Money Getting: Easyread Edition”, p.26, ReadHowYouWant.com

Topics: Success, Business, Water

Money is the excellent slave and a horrible master.

Topics: Slave, Excellent, Masters

When a man is in the right path, he must persevere.

source: - P. T. Barnum (2013). “The Art of Money Getting + The Humbugs of the World (2 Unabridged Classics)”, p.19, e-artnow

Topics: Men, Path, Persevere

Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant but a terrible master.

source: - "Money: How To Get It, How To Keep It".

Topics: Money, Fire, Excellent, Respect Life

Whatever you do, do it ardently.

No profession, trade, or calling, is overcrowded in the upper story.

source: - P. T. Barnum (1999). “Art of Money Getting”, p.60, Applewood Books

Topics: Stories, Calling, Trade

With the young man starting in business, let him understand the value of money by earning it.

source: - P. T. Barnum (1999). “Art of Money Getting”, p.74, Applewood Books

Topics: Men, Earning It, Young

Instead of spending money, I earned it.

Topics: Spending, Spending Money

I risked much, but I made much.

Topics: Made

A salary was not sufficient for me.

Topics: Salary, Sufficient

Small does of advertising result in nothing, obviously. It's like giving a sick person half the medicine he needs. It just causes more suffering. Give the whole dose, and the cure will be certain and decisive.

Topics: Medicine, Giving, Sick, Sick Person

I never liked to work, I mean manual work.

Topics: Mean, Manuals, Manual Work