--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Advertising is like learning - a little…" description: "\"Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the money he has already spent is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/p-t-barnum-7389_advertising_advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is_1408343.png" --- # Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous… ![“Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the money he has already spent is lost.” quote by P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/p-t-barnum-7389_advertising_advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is_1408343.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/p-t-barnum-7389_advertising_advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is_1408343.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/p-t-barnum-7389_advertising_advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is_1408343.png) > “Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the money he has already spent is lost.” [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Small, half‑hearted advertising can mislead and waste resources; bold, consistent promotion is needed to protect prior investment. **In simple terms:** Half‑hearted ads are risky; bold ads protect spend. Key Takeaway Invest boldly and consistently. Themes marketing risk investment confidence Mood cautious determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - launching a product - budget planning - campaign scaling - brand awareness Key Concepts advertising strategy behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - How can you test ad effectiveness before scaling? - What risks do you accept with minimal advertising? A Different Perspective Boldness may not guarantee success if the product is poor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Copywriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copywriting/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/advertising-is-like-learning-a-little-is-a-dangerous-thing/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Ninety-five percent of the time when I run a contest I've purchased the giveaway prizes with advertising money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/ninety-five-percent-of-the-time-when-i-run-a-contest-i-ve-purchased/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [Fifteen Minutes of Notoriety Beats the Best Advertising Money Can Buy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-j-zelinski/fifteen-minutes-of-notoriety-beats-the-best-advertising-money-can-buy/) [Ernie J Zelinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-j-zelinski/) > [I mean, so what if it's a little dangerous? A one-armed kid is comedy gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-mean-so-what-if-it-s-a-little-dangerous-a-one-armed-kid-is-comedy/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [It's a little dangerous to be a badass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/it-s-a-little-dangerous-to-be-a-badass/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Nearly everything that was fun, of course, was also a little dangerous: riding roller coasters, skydiving, gambling, sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/nearly-everything-that-was-fun-of-course-was-also-a-little-dangerous/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [It's a little dangerous for me to get outside myself and think about how I want people to see me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-cash/it-s-a-little-dangerous-for-me-to-get-outside-myself-and-think-about/) [Rosanne Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-cash/) > [Trying to do business without advertising is like winking at a pretty girl through a pair of green goggles. You may know what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyrus-mccormick/trying-to-do-business-without-advertising-is-like-winking-at-a-pretty/) Cyrus McCormick > [Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steuart-henderson-britt/doing-business-without-advertising-is-like-winking-at-a-girl-in-the/) Steuart Henderson Britt > [Funding a civilization through advertising is like trying to get nutrition by connecting a tube from one’s anus to one’s mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/funding-a-civilization-through-advertising-is-like-trying-to-get/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [Advertising is much like war, minus the venom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/advertising-is-much-like-war-minus-the-venom/) [Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/) > [People have romantic notions about television. In the highest realms they think it's some sort of art medium, and it's not. Others think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/people-have-romantic-notions-about-television-in-the-highest-realms/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“To hold down advertising is to have nearly the entire publishing and broadcasting industries under your thumb. There’s not a branch of publishing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/to-hold-down-advertising-is-to-have-nearly-the-entire-publishing-and/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Good first impressions…are good for business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-edit/good-first-impressions-are-good-for-business/) CS-Edit ## More by P. T. Barnum > [You can fool most of the people most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/you-can-fool-most-of-the-people-most-of-the-time/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/there-is-scarcely-anything-that-drags-a-person-down-like-debt/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Without publicity a terrible thing happens: nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/without-publicity-a-terrible-thing-happens-nothing/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Politics and government are certainly among the most important of practical human interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/politics-and-government-are-certainly-among-the-most-important-of/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/money-is-good-for-nothing-unless-you-know-the-value-of-it-by/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [A lovely nook of forest scenery, or a grand rock, like a beautiful woman, depends for much of its attractiveness upon the attendance sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/a-lovely-nook-of-forest-scenery-or-a-grand-rock-like-a-beautiful/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Witchcraft is one of the most baseless, absurd, disgusting and silly of all the humbugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/witchcraft-is-one-of-the-most-baseless-absurd-disgusting-and-silly-of/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [I never liked to work, I mean manual work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/i-never-liked-to-work-i-mean-manual-work/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/literature-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-and-significant-expressions/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [No man ever went broke overestimating the ignorance of the American public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/no-man-ever-went-broke-overestimating-the-ignorance-of-the-american/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [I am a showman by profession... and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/i-am-a-showman-by-profession-and-all-the-gilding-shall-make-nothing/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [The foundation of success in life is good health: that is the substratum fortune; it is also the basis of happiness. A person cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/the-foundation-of-success-in-life-is-good-health-that-is-the/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [I think it is conceded that I generally do pretty big things as a manager, am audacious in my outlays and risks, give much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/i-think-it-is-conceded-that-i-generally-do-pretty-big-things-as-a/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [Men, women, and children who cannot live on gravity alone need something to satisfy their gayer, lighter moods and hours, and he who ministers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/men-women-and-children-who-cannot-live-on-gravity-alone-need/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [The bigger the humbug, the better people will like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/the-bigger-the-humbug-the-better-people-will-like-it/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) [Explore all 92 P. T. Barnum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Advertising is like learning - a little is a dangerous thing. If a man has not the pluck to keep on advertising, all the money he has already spent is lost.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. T. 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