P.T. Barnum, known as The Greatest Showman, was one of the most progressive entrepreneurs of the 19th Century. Co-founding Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, P.T. made a name for himself by exposing the world to oddities and a show the likes of which had never been seen before. He is recognized for creating an entertainment empire whose legacy has lasted for almost 150 years.
Here are some of P.T. Barnum’s most motivational quotes:
1. “Money is in some respect life’s fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.” – P.T. Barnum
2. “Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business.” – P.T. Barnum
3. “Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity.” – P.T. Barnum
4. “Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.” – P.T. Barnum
5. “Without promotion, something terrible happens…nothing!” – P.T. Barnum
6. “Unless a man enters upon the vocation intended for him by nature, and best suited to his peculiar genius, he cannot succeed. I am glad to believe that the majority of persons do find their right vocation.” – P.T. Barnum
7. “If you hesitate, some bolder hand will stretch out before you and get the prize.” – P.T. Barnum
8. “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.” – P.T. Barnum
9. “The best charity is to help those who are willing to help themselves.” – P.T. Barnum
10. “When a man is in the right path, he must persevere.” – P.T. Barnum
11. “More persons, on the whole, are humbugged by believing in nothing, than by believing too much.” – P.T. Barnum
12. “The truth is, the more kind and liberal a man is, the more generous will be the patronage bestowed upon him.” – P.T. Barnum
13. “Science is the pursuit of pure truth, and the systematizing of it.” – P.T. Barnum
14. “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.” – P.T. Barnum
15. “You must exercise your caution in laying your plans, but be bold in carrying them out.” – P.T. Barnum
16. “The possession of a perfect knowledge of your business is an absolute necessity in order to insure success.” – P.T. Barnum
Like this old school entrepreneur wisdom? Check out these Henry Ford Quotes!
17. “If I shoot at the sun, I may hit a star.” – P.T. Barnum
18. “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 as now.” – P.T. Barnum
19. “Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience.” – P.T. Barnum
20. “To me there is no picture so beautiful as smiling, bright-eyed, happy children; no music so sweet as their clear and ringing laughter.” – P.T. Barnum
21. “Energy and patience in business are two indispensable elements of success.” – P.T. Barnum
22. “Every crowd has a silver lining.” – P.T. Barnum
23. “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 today, and another tomorrow, 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.” – P.T. Barnum
24. “To forgive heals the wound, to forget heals the scar.” – P.T. Barnum
25. “The great ambition should be to excel all others engaged in the same occupation.” – P.T. Barnum
26. “Never attempt to catch a whale with a minnow.” – P.T. Barnum
27. “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.” – P.T. Barnum
28. “Your success depends on what you do yourself, with your own means.” – P.T. Barnum
29. “Let your motto be ‘Excelsior,’ for living up to it there is no such word as fail.” – P.T. Barnum
30. “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.” – P.T. Barnum
31. “The noblest art is that of making others happy.” – P.T. Barnum
32. “There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt.” – P.T. Barnum
