The Greatest Showman took the world by surprise upon its release for being a musical with incredible set pieces and a story that was instantly relatable despite the period setting. The film made over $400 million worldwide, and there was more to it than just Hugh Jackman’s star power.
You can find life lessons galore in the story, and these were all relayed to the viewer through dialogue. The filmmakers did a marvelous job at making us understand what the characters were going through, and these quotes resonate within us to this day. If you want to be inspired, then you need to read these 10 sayings from The Greatest Showman.
Updated by Saim Cheeda on June 1st, 2020: Audiences are increasingly looking for new forms of entertainment from films, and The Greatest Showman provided such a wonderfully diverse viewpoint. Since the release of the movie, its popularity has continued to soar thanks to the impact of the songs present and the film’s overall theme.
Due to the many life lessons that can be found here, fans have taken to connecting with the quotes and lyrics from the film. Due to this, it’s worth checking out more of these quotes and diving into what they mean. You’ll find there’s more to the film on another glance, so here are a few more quotes added.
“…Watch My Girls Grow Up. The Show Must Go On.”
This was the moment P.T. Barnum completed his character development, as he finally understood what really brought him happiness. With the circus now in full force, he happened upon the realization that he’d only ever needed the company of his wife and daughters.
A lot of times people tend to forget that they make a living for their families. Barnum accepted this and handed the reins over to his Phillip before leaving to be with his family.
“It Is Hard To Understand Wealth And Privilege When You’re Born To It.”
Jenny was placed as something of an antagonist in the movie, but she might have been misunderstood all along. After all, she was pretty lonely the whole time, and people had this idea that she was happy because she was wealthy and talented.
However, this quote proves that being born into wealth can be a disadvantage, as it doesn’t provide the person the context of what it means to struggle. Looking at it this way, it proves that earning wealth and success is far more valuable than inheriting it.
“Trust Me, They Don’t Know It Yet, But They’re Going To Love You.”
Barnum was something of a man of words, as he could encourage anyone to go along with his plans using his rhetorical skills. Still, that doesn’t mean those words were misguided, with Barnum mainly providing the right push these people needed.
This motivational quote can easily apply to any situation where people are unwilling to take a chance simply because they don’t know how things will turn out.
“Do These Smiles Seem Fake? It Doesn’t Matter Where They Come From. The Joy Is Real.”
Sometimes people are embarrassed to enjoy things society tells them are supposed to be lame or unbecoming of them. But this quote manages to put things into perspective.
After all, why should it matter what others think when a person’s own joy is what’s important? In the film, Barnum was criticized for using unorthodox means to gain his fame, but he had this to say in his defense, and it made perfect sense.
“Don’t Start Acting Sensible Now.”
At some point, going with the flow is all one can do, even if it seems like a bonkers idea. When P.T. Barnum had lost his spirit, he got the encouragement to pick himself up from his circus crew. Here, Lenny told him that it was too late to start thinking rationally, especially when being crazily optimistic had gotten them this far.
It makes sense too, since thinking outside of the box can do wonders. Going by the rules of society hadn’t done the characters any good, and it was only by going against the status quo that they achieved success.
“So Why Don’t We Rewrite The Stars?”
Not only was this one of the best songs in the movie with the best replay value, its chorus began with the message of inclusion the film wanted. The love story between these two characters would be nothing special when applying to the landscape of today, but in the period setting, their ethnicity made it impossible to be in a relationship.
This is why “Rewriting the Stars” has such a big impact since it means these two want to be together despite the universe—at the time—telling them they don’t have a chance. While it was still a struggle following this song, they did become a couple by the end.
“You Don’t Need Everyone To Love You, Just A Few Good People.”
If you look at it objectively, the best character in the whole film was Charity Barnum. She was the quintessential wife who didn’t flinch in supporting her family for even a moment. While PT Barnum had a lot of maturing to do, Charity was always someone who understood the important things in life.
Here, she gave out such an honest truth that it places things in a remarkable context. It makes no difference if you have acceptance from millions of people—not when they don’t mean anything to you. Having the love and support of those whom you love is what’s most important.
“A Man’s Station Is Only Limited By His Imagination.”
Everything that took place within the movie happened for the wrong reasons, as PT Barnum tried to win the world so he wouldn’t feel like a failure, but what truly drove him was his imagination; he just didn’t realize it.
What he did know, though, was that he wanted to achieve what people didn’t give him a shot at achieving, and these kinds of goals can only be attainable if you forget what reality tells you and dare to dream big. After all, imagination is boundless, and there’s nothing stopping you from wanting whatever you desire.
“Comfort, the Enemy of Progress.”
There are millions of people out there who’d like to be somewhere else rather than where they are today, but the level of security one has with their current situation denies them the push they need to achieve more. It’s very true, too, as when you get comfortable in one place, you’re effectively bound there.
It’s only by stepping out of that zone do you open yourself up for new experiences, and it is only through learning new ideas that you can make progress in life. A risk-taker will always see and experience more than one who’s remained in the same place forever.
“The world is changing, and I refuse to be a part of yours.”
While we’re not exactly sure what the laws were at the time, it was at least confirmed that being involved romantically within two races was a big no-no when it came to social status. Even though Phillip was shown to be interested in Anne right from the start, he kept wanting to keep things quiet.
In the end, this quote was his moment of triumph, when he told his father flatly that the world wasn’t the same anymore, and if his parents weren’t going to change, then he didn’t want to be associated with their manner of thinking. In the grand scheme of things, we needed people like Phillip to break societal barriers so the world would become accepting.
“When you’re careless with other people, you bring ruin upon yourself.”
This was another quote that reminded viewers that self-acceptance was more important than philandering around trying to impress others. Because, when you go in too deep with this sort of mentality, it’s only a matter of time before you lose sight of what made you so different in the first place.
Another context you can see this quote through is that you should treat others with respect. If you continue to exploit others for your own gains, you won’t be left with anyone in your corner when it matters most. In the end, we all want respect more than we want fame or money, and the person who provides respect to people of all kinds, that is a person deserving to be a winner.
“No One Ever Made A Difference By Being Like Everyone Else.”
You can see this as an extension of the quote about stepping out of your comfort zone., and it’s just as true, as well. If you think that emulating someone successful is going to hand you success of your own, then you’re in for a very rude awakening down the line.
It’s by being different and standing out among the crowd that you can become an icon. If you do what every other person in the world is doing, then how can you expect to be singled out when the time comes for praise? The people who made an impact are those who dared to be different.
“I Wish For Happiness Like This Forever.”
It’s the simple things that show you just how wonderful life can be. There are those people who have just about everything you can think of, but those same people can’t say with certainty that they are happy in life. There are also the people who don’t have much of anything when it comes to material value, but they possess the widest smiles of all.
At some point, you need to evaluate what you want from your own life and what the benchmark for your own happiness is. Once you realize this, then you’ll want your happiness to remain ever-present—the same way Charity was deeply appreciative for hers.
“The noblest art is that of making others happy.”
We don’t know for sure what makes someone a “good” person, but what everyone will attest to is that a person who has been deemed to be “good” is one who makes others happy. Although every person in the world has a degree of selfishness in them, the people who are remembered even after they’re gone are those who took the time for others.
This PT Barnum quote does hit close to home since people tend to forget what’s important in the world. If you want to leave a legacy, then remember to make people happy—there’s nothing not noble about that.
“This Is Me!”
This song wasn’t just there to be catchy and sell tickets; it was what the whole movie was about. The people who worked at PT’s circus were what the public deemed as freaks, but it was these people who sang it loud and proud who they were.
Rather than be bogged down by societal perceptions, they embraced the card that was dealt them by fate. You’ll always be called something you’re not by people who don’t understand you, but rising above that and drowning those insults down is truly winning in life.
