--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was little, my mother told me…" description: "\"“When I was little, my mother told me there are basically two kinds of people in the world: town people and circus people. The kind who stay are town p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/cathy-day-109611_circus_when-i-was-little-my-mother-told-me-ther_1392897.jpg" --- # When I was little, my mother told me there are basically… ![“When I was little, my mother told me there are basically two kinds of people in the world: town people and circus people. The kind who stay are town people, and the kind who leave are circus people.” quote by Cathy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/cathy-day-109611_circus_when-i-was-little-my-mother-told-me-ther_1392897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/cathy-day-109611_circus_when-i-was-little-my-mother-told-me-ther_1392897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c7/cathy-day-109611_circus_when-i-was-little-my-mother-told-me-ther_1392897.jpg) > ““When I was little, my mother told me there are basically two kinds of people in the world: town people and circus people. The kind who stay are town people, and the kind who leave are circus people.”” Cathy Day ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are divided into those who stay in familiar settings and those who seek adventure elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Town people stay; circus people leave. Key Takeaway Recognize your own path. Themes identity choice adventure family culture Mood reflective thoughtful Type identity social family When to use this quote - career decisions - family expectations - travel planning - social integration Key Concepts social roles risk tolerance personal growth Questions to Reflect On - Do you see yourself as a town or circus person? - How does this view affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Some may view this binary as oversimplified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circus/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“At the college where I teach, I'm surrounded by circus people. We aren't tightrope walkers or acrobats. We don't breathe fire or swallow swords.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-day/at-the-college-where-i-teach-i-m-surrounded-by-circus-people-we-aren/) Cathy Day > [You ask people, 'What is the circus?' They'll say, 'Animals, clowns and acrobats!' That's what people want. If you say you don't have animals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/you-ask-people-what-is-the-circus-they-ll-say-animals-clowns-and/) [Princess Stephanie of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/) > [Poets and painters are outside the class system, or rather they constitute a special class of their own, like the circus people and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-brenan/poets-and-painters-are-outside-the-class-system-or-rather-they/) [Gerald Brenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-brenan/) > [Animals are the traditional circus. It's what people remember from their childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/animals-are-the-traditional-circus-it-s-what-people-remember-from/) [Princess Stephanie of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-stephanie-of-monaco/) > [I'm just a kid from a small town. Not many people make it from there. Shout out to Whitnall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-herro/i-m-just-a-kid-from-a-small-town-not-many-people-make-it-from-there/) [Tyler Herro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-herro/) > [You make a little noise, and you can sell out your local hometown club. But then you drive an hour down the road to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sturgill-simpson/you-make-a-little-noise-and-you-can-sell-out-your-local-hometown-club/) [Sturgill Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sturgill-simpson/) > [A lot of times in movies, you see the "small town" people, being bowled over by this creative entity or this corporate ideal, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/a-lot-of-times-in-movies-you-see-the-small-town-people-being-bowled/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [We live in a town in which people believe in therapy in Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/we-live-in-a-town-in-which-people-believe-in-therapy-in-los-angeles/) [Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/) > [Small town people assume you are a friend if you simply remember their names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-marlin/small-town-people-assume-you-are-a-friend-if-you-simply-remember/) [Randal Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-marlin/) > [Being humble got me very far when I went to L.A., because it was in stark contrast to this town of people who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-bloom/being-humble-got-me-very-far-when-i-went-to-l-a-because-it-was-in/) [Molly Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-bloom/) > [If we were at a bar in a small town and not many people were there, people would bug me to bring in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/if-we-were-at-a-bar-in-a-small-town-and-not-many-people-were-there/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [Vegas is my town, my people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-johnson/vegas-is-my-town-my-people/) [Larry Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-johnson/) > [The thing about a small town is that there are people who just remember me as a musician, as a high school football player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/the-thing-about-a-small-town-is-that-there-are-people-who-just/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [I didn't want to spend the next thirty years writing about bad things happening in the same small town - not least of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-didn-t-want-to-spend-the-next-thirty-years-writing-about-bad-things/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [The first time that you escape from home or the small town that you live in - there's a reason a small town is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/the-first-time-that-you-escape-from-home-or-the-small-town-that-you/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) ## More by Cathy Day > [“At the college where I teach, I'm surrounded by circus people. We aren't tightrope walkers or acrobats. We don't breathe fire or swallow swords.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-day/at-the-college-where-i-teach-i-m-surrounded-by-circus-people-we-aren/) Cathy Day Explore all 2 Cathy Day quotes ## More Circus quotes > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [Blind with love, my daughter has cried nightly for horses, those long-necked marchers and churners that she has mastered, any and all, reigning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/blind-with-love-my-daughter-has-cried-nightly-for-horses-those-long/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [In Roslyn, Pennsylvania, we started our real-life family circus. They provided the inspiration for my cartoons. I provided the perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bil-keane/in-roslyn-pennsylvania-we-started-our-real-life-family-circus-they/) [Bil Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bil-keane/) > [Circus clown. That's a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/circus-clown-that-s-a-new-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [When I was 18 I worked with the Ringling Brothers circus, taking care of menagerie animals. I used to rather deliberately risk my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hoagland/when-i-was-18-i-worked-with-the-ringling-brothers-circus-taking-care/) [Edward Hoagland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hoagland/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Writing is for men who can think and feel, not mindless sensation seekers out of nightclubs and bars. But these are bad times. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naguib-mahfouz/writing-is-for-men-who-can-think-and-feel-not-mindless-sensation/) [Naguib Mahfouz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naguib-mahfouz/) > [“If i'm gonna be described as a clown for my actions, I might aswell be a whole circus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bee/if-i-m-gonna-be-described-as-a-clown-for-my-actions-i-might-aswell-be/) [Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bee/) > [I've had 79 to 80 years of show business. I started when I was 5 with a man called Tom Mix. I didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sidney/i-ve-had-79-to-80-years-of-show-business-i-started-when-i-was-5-with/) George Sidney > [When I'm on stage, it's really intense. My mind is going a million miles an hour, trying to remember my act, trying to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/when-i-m-on-stage-it-s-really-intense-my-mind-is-going-a-million/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I unconsciously decided that, even if it wasn't an ideal world, it should be. So I painted only the ideal aspects of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-rockwell/i-unconsciously-decided-that-even-if-it-wasn-t-an-ideal-world-it/) [Norman Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-rockwell/) > [The circus tent was flowing pale in the rain like a fleshy flower lit from within. It seemed to bloom in the downpour. Drops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/the-circus-tent-was-flowing-pale-in-the-rain-like-a-fleshy-flower-lit/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [My father used to describe how he'd love going, early in the morning, out on a location and waiting for the trucks to arrive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-broccoli/my-father-used-to-describe-how-he-d-love-going-early-in-the-morning/) [Barbara Broccoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-broccoli/) [Browse all 606 Circus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I was little, my mother told me there are basically two kinds of people in the world: town people and circus people. 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