P.T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum; American politician, businessman and showman.
Founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
1810 – 1891

Every crowd has a silver lining.

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.

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

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

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

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

I don’t care what they say about me, just make sure they spell my name right!

Instead of spending money, I earned it.

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.

If you HESITATE, some bolder hand will stretch out BEFORE YOU and get the prize.

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.

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

Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.

Be confident, without pulling the wool over your eyes.

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

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

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

Nine out of ten of the rich men of our country today, started out in life as poor boys, with determined wills, industry, perseverance, economy and good habits.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.

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

I never liked to work, I mean manual work.

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

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

Whatever you do, do it ardently.

Without promotion, something terrible happens… nothing!

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.

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

You can fool some of the people all of the time; you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can never fool all of the people all of the time.