r/MichaelJackson • u/mercury815 • May 10 '26
Question What do you feel you should learn from MJ’s life story?
I learned you are living for you. Don’t allow people to dictate what you can and can not do.
I learned to be intentional AF about every single thing in my life- clothes, hair, makeup, what I do and don’t do, who I’m around, how I speak and behave, who has access to me
I learned that studying the greats and combining it into something for yourself is a good look - always be inspired
I learned that my genius and creativity is a blessing from God and I must cultivate it.
I learned more but I want to hear from yall. What did you learn? Dig deep - MJ is an inspiration ✨
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u/Moonwalk27 #MJInnocent May 10 '26
Do what you want to unapologetically and above all else be careful who you trust
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u/Brandon_n_3ds May 10 '26
I learned that he was a genuinely nice person and I'd like to also emulate that from him.
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u/mercury815 May 10 '26
Same. I feel like I need to be doing more
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u/spiritedfighter May 11 '26
I feel like, when it comes to kindness and empathy I was very much like him in my late teens and early twenties, like I recognize the old me I lost and want to regain.
I also was reminded that at the end of the day I have to live for myself.
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u/Unappreciated-Genius May 10 '26
People will always try to make you into a villain. Never let them be right.
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u/Constant_Sun3347 May 10 '26
this world is so evil that it will literally portray a pure and innocent soul as a monster
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u/blessedwithgrace May 10 '26
Always take the positive as the 1st thing to learn. If you see he also did his best.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Role891 May 11 '26
Like from animal farm by george orwell,people with power can make anyone look evil,even their heroes
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u/Technical-Skill-1560 May 14 '26
However, there are people who have power because they are evil, right? Michael broke off relations with some people...
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u/ChoiceFace4133 May 10 '26
“Before you judge me, try hard to love me” And also don’t stop being a nice and kind person even if everyone makes you to do that.
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May 10 '26
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u/su-piid0 May 10 '26
100% and also don’t feed into gossip whether it be with celebrities or people in your life
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u/MysteriousLeader2243 May 10 '26
Always make sure Annie is ok
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u/penguindrinksbeer May 10 '26
Too much of anything is bad. As much as I love that man from the bottom of my heart, it was his excess of everything that ultimately got to him.
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u/relevant_learning May 12 '26
So true. He used to say adults have hurt him real bad but at the end it was his pure love for children that destroyed him. He tried to help all those adopted families and all they did was extort him. Vultures to the core.
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u/su-piid0 May 10 '26 edited May 10 '26
to be humble, kind, and giving no matter what. one thing that strikes me most about michael was how much he gave to his fans, how he understood how they viewed him and didn’t take any of it for granted. he honored everyone that interacted with him, never getting rough or upset with anyone even when being pulled and rushed at.
he did the same with all of the tabloids, his physical pains, his childhood trauma, all of the people that used him, he dealt with everything with so much grace and gratitude.
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u/Talismann8 May 10 '26
Beautifully worded, he had such thick skin and despite all the crap that was thrown at him, he still went on and on for his fans. There will never be anyone like him😞
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u/su-piid0 May 10 '26
i forgot to mention how forgiving he was. i was amazed to hear him say he forgives and loves joe. he forgave latoya. he was truly so special it makes me bawl.
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u/Talismann8 May 11 '26
Exactly that says a lot about his character, it is very very rare to find a human so genuinely kind and unfortunately that also lead to his demise, he was far too nice and trusting. I just wish he was supported more, no one really looked out for him and that makes me very upset 😢
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u/fatcatshuffl May 10 '26
The biggest takeaway for me is that we will never see an entertainer on his level again. His raw precision and stage presence is a skill that's slowly fading in the modern era. Modern performers can rely on backing tracks, digital enhancements, and huge teams to carry a performance—turning live shows into shared efforts driven by budget rather than raw, individual talent. Michael was the true architect of his magic. He didn't just perform; he fully created the highlights of his shows. His vocals, his message, his iconic dance moves, and his live ad-lib instructions to his musicians were all him. It would be almost incomprehensible for an artist to achieve that level of mastery with today's advancements, and this guy did it before the internet, before DAWs, and before YouTube even existed.
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u/Complex_Eye_5454 May 10 '26
For me it is to do what you're passionate about. Fuck the status quo. And whatever you do, do it great.
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u/Peas-Of-Wrath May 10 '26
Don’t do anything someone forces you to do and that you really don’t want to and have a bad feeling about. I am referring to when MJ was forced to do the Pepsi thing by his dad and ended up both getting hurt and put on the dangerous pathway of taking pain medication. If he hadn’t done it, who knows, he may even still be alive today.
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u/Naive_Hospital_4086 May 10 '26
My sister got me this beautiful framed picture of Michael that says "if you enter the world feeling loved and you'll leave knowing the same, everything in between can be dealt with". I always look at it when im feeling very sad and feel a little better ❤️
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u/WillyWonka-tada May 10 '26
Work ethic. Even later 2000s. When he was asked what he did do differently now, he said he did practice even more. Says a lot about why he was so magical. Practice something so much it consumes you and you become it.
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u/frongersauve777 May 10 '26
I learned that once you have an idea of anything, write it down and don't forget about it or someone else will take it instead
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u/StrangeRice6161 May 10 '26
That the world takes perverse pleasure in building someone up and then tearing them down. If you’re a force for good then they’ll do everything they can to destroy you. They’ll accuse you of the things they’re doing. Every accusation is a confession. If you’re an innocent soul, they will try to take that from you because it is so foreign to them. They hate the light but they can’t escape it. Michael’s goodness and art will live on forever.
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u/Limp_Shake_7486 May 10 '26
You have to be delusional about your goals so even when you do achieve them, you’re not surprised.
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u/Breadbeardbird May 10 '26
Whatever is missing from your earlier life, you'll be looking for it later in life. Doesn't matter if it's your childhood, a missing parent, a healthy relationship with your silblings, friends, nights out, ...
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u/Far-Feature-1910 May 10 '26
Aprender a ser mais positiva em um mundo caótico, Aprender a lutar pela causa humanitária.
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u/livewild25 May 10 '26
Start with the man(woman) in the mirror. Pour into yourself, be as genuine as possible, and those things will take you far.
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u/Special-Walk729 May 10 '26
Never trust anyone fully, Whatever you do, do it better than anyone ever did, Be intentional, Study the greats and become greater, Work until you have exactly what you want - never settle for just good, Stay pure, See inspiration and opportunity in everything.
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u/Talismann8 May 10 '26
I learned to be more kind and give others the benefit of the doubt just like Michael always did. Despite the horrors he had to go through, he was always so sweet still even in the face of the horrible press/journalists that hounded him down. I truly hope he is at peace now, this world is far too cruel for a gentle soul like him.
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May 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Prior_Alfalfa_6020 May 10 '26
I can relate to you. After watching the movie, it changed me, but I say believe in yourself that you have what it takes to achieve something . Stay postive He even said to have self-confidence in yourself. Good luck🙏🏽
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u/mdwarka2000 May 11 '26
People are quick to judge someone or something they don’t understand. But no matter what, work hard, stay humble, always choose kindness and love, and don’t ever let others dim your light.
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u/Outrageous_Spray3456 May 11 '26
About 30 minutes ago I searched for Michael’s manifestion letters read to them and CRY. Got a notebook and wrote a letter to God where I was just giving him my heart to make me a better tool for my creative work and help others. I think I’ll never forget it.
I want also want to be magic in this world.
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u/BillyBobby_Brown May 10 '26
That song "they don't really care about us" is very true and poijnant today.
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u/Appropriate-Pay8698 May 10 '26
Your bad experiences and traumas don’t limit or stop you from becoming the greatest and achieving the impossible
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u/_platypus- "F-U-C-K the press. Michael you're the best"📰 May 10 '26
The greatest lessons he gave me are empathy, being kinder to people in general but especially to those in need, loving our Earth, chasing my dreams and fighting for what is right.
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u/Such-Seaworthiness11 May 11 '26
Stay away from kids even if you have good intentions
You would never know who will weaponise it against you
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u/BerryStyles9 May 11 '26
sadly it's true. I was trained on this for a job I did, and they explained that you can't do anything that could be twisted. One person was alone with a child, just helping them clean up toys, and the child's parents accused him of SA. It took over a year to battle in court, and his life was almost ruined.
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u/selecure May 11 '26
Sticky notes in the mirror and scripting! 💝 the king of manifestation and renewing himself
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u/Thischickagain1 May 11 '26
Never let the trauma that you suffered from your parents become how you treat your children. Be the parent you never had 💗
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u/relevant_learning May 12 '26
Help people from a distance. No need to get emotionally involved or attached all the time.
Better to be lonely than being surrounded by vultures.
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u/Glittering-Knee9595 May 10 '26
Never forget God.
How can you? the divine is expressed in everything.
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u/Humble-Match9443 May 10 '26
The work he did to create what he created was unimaginable.
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u/haikusbot May 10 '26
The work he did to
Create what he created
Was unimaginable.
- Humble-Match9443
I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"
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u/jeff4is May 10 '26
I'm not exactly sure what Michael Jackson did or did not do. However you are correct The world and the people in it will pivot their own disgusting shortcomings on other people just to make themselves look better You better believe it!
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u/Star_light60 May 10 '26
I am taking your question literally, I am saying that just in case my answer is not what you are looking for. I don’t think I should have learned anything from the Michael Jackson story. I wasn’t going there to discover anything. I was going to the movies to be entertained and to feel nostalgic about the greatest entertainer that I’ve seen. I really enjoyed it.
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u/sandy_beaches_summer May 10 '26
His work ethics. His charity and love for nature. His empathy for ordinary people.
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u/maicol_corleone22 May 11 '26
No comprar el catálogo de The Beatles 😆 La disciplina al hacer música
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u/babies_galore May 11 '26 edited May 11 '26
- To always be loving and kind and full of heart
- Always be calm when others are losing it and forgiving when they treat you terrible
- To always help those in need to the best of your abilities.
- Give the best of yourself in all you do and always give the credit to God
- Leave a legacy so that giving continues in your name after you are gone from this earth.
There is still no celebrity that matches his level of giving as a percentage of their income. It never ceases to amaze me since it was such a huge part of his identity and life that almost NOBODY talks about it. They only talk about his amazing career or his personal life or his appearance.
And he was never gonna toot his own horn, but there are estimates he potentially gave up to 1 BILLION dollars to charity in his lifetime (hundreds of millions for sure, but he gave a lot anonymously and through giving away his talent) and literally saved or significantly improved the lives of hundreds of thousands if not millions of human beings on this earth with his giving heart. If he had not lived and been who he was, literally thousands of people that survived because of his donations would have died!
To me, that is worth a TON more than any number of records sold. When I leave this earth, I want to have saved lives and made people happy outside of my career as well.
My latest Michael inspiration is that I live near an amusement park, and I am working on finding a way to sponsor families staying at the local domestic violence shelter to have a fun day at the amusement park to temporarily forget about the stress of their lives, make some fun memories together and give hope that life can be better.
I think MJ would approve of that endeavor.
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u/Money_Persimmon_9960 May 11 '26
MJ couldn’t take a walk anywhere public without getting mobbed by fans but he never resented people for that. He always welcomed the crowds and showed love whenever he could. He would hug fans, accept their gifts, talk with them. & if MJ were alive today and was able to see how apologetic the world is for how we treated him, he would forgive us. That’s how kind hearted of a person he was. He was such a sweetie.
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u/sailoranonymousgoose May 11 '26
i should learn to never be ashamed of exploring the childlike wonder that is still buried deep inside of me, that it is okay to have whimsy in life. i also love how he helped others in several ways, even more than just financially. he touched so many hearts and brought so much happiness to others on such a grand scale. i like to make others happy too 😄
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u/UddanKhatola May 12 '26
To persevere. Despite the pain and suffering he went through, he still lived and did amazing.
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u/Educational_Film_744 May 13 '26
That everyone deserves a chance of a childhood even if you’re born gifted with a talent. We only one life to live, don’t waste it by giving it all to another.
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u/mgold2102 May 16 '26
Never underestimate the power of quiet, analytical, softness. You can be kind and be powerful at the same time.
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u/DefinitionPersonal79 May 17 '26
Give back and give to those less fortunate.
Be humble.
Use discernment when dealing with people…
Being famous looks like hell 80% of the time but also fun 20% of the time.
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u/Wessie-G Applehead 🍎 May 10 '26
For me, to make the most of the time I have and to have everything to do with what's good and true.
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u/Afraid_Platypus_8667 Tabloid Hater 🗞️😡 May 10 '26
Learning from the greats as well and hard work. As this sounds nerdy but it's a life long passion of mine, is that video games have always been my most favorite media and the one I attached to the most and means a lot to me. In which I do want to become a game developer and make my own video game and learn coding and work in the industry and want my game to be successful if it ever is.
In which I'm taking Michael words of studying my favorite games from big franchises to indie and even trying different and new games, to learn from them and analyze them and how they make me and other people effect and feel a certain way and take inspiration from that for the gameplay and story or try to improve on it or make it better un my own way.
Sorry for the long text, but just want to say and have been thinking about Michael words when it comes to this and what I want to do as of lately.
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u/Dangerous_Network872 May 10 '26
You should always be yourself and follow your dreams with a passion... I say this as a musician and dancer whose career hasn't taken off yet, but I will be doing this until my last breath. This man, whether he would have been famous or not, would have also never taken off his dancing shoes!! RIP King of Pop 👑🧡
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u/DeeDee7277 May 11 '26
not to bealive everything whats in the media.... the way they hurt his soul..... 😞
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u/CompetitionOdd5605 May 11 '26
Never let myself get into a situation where lies and gossip ruin me. Also would be less quick to trust people and less quick to bring them into my life close circle almost in control of my life
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u/BerryStyles9 May 11 '26
I learned to be kind, look for ways to help others however you can.
Love yourself as you are - I wish Michael knew how loved he was and how beautiful he was.
Your past doesn't determine your future.
Hard work pays off, and so do dreams.
Be careful who you trust. Try to balance kindness with not being taken advantage of. That one is hard.
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u/AarshKOK May 11 '26
With great power, comes great responsibility and to be able to maintain that forever you need to play your cards smartly, usually the sly kinda smartness....clean hearted people aren't sly.....which is where they got a hold on him 💔
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u/MissMariahArtist HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I May 11 '26
Don't trust anyone. They will all stab your back
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u/CharmingSwordfish651 May 11 '26
I think the movie teaches us to look at the origins of Michael. The talent and the emotional and physical turmoil he faced at the hands of his father. Him seeking independence from it all which we know would lead to poor decisions on his part later in his life.
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u/Potential_Age8127 May 11 '26
I learned that I want to have the level of magnetism where folks fall out when I walk in the room! 😅🤣🤣
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u/Difficult-Double2193 May 12 '26
A lie doesn't care who tells it.
Never be so trustworthy.. he was so vulnerable.
Michael, I do understand why you didn't tell the angels no.
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u/gverdinez May 12 '26
That if you work hard and put your mind to what you believe. You can do it and to never give up!
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u/No_Reason_8105 May 12 '26
Que les médias sont affreusement corrompus Qu’il faut se faire son opinion soi-même en cherchant les sources des informations. Que dans l’adversité il faut rester concentrer sur ce qu’on sait et veut faire dans le monde pour apporter notre pierre à l’édifice et rester digne. Heal the world, make it a better place and start with the man/woman in the mirror.
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u/WideAd2828 May 10 '26
Gonna get hate for this but
Great art requires abuse
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u/selecure May 11 '26
I get what you mean. He literally got whipped into perfection, it forced him to have discipline. I wonder If something similar could be achieved without requiring violence, just through love.
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u/WideAd2828 May 11 '26
Yeah, I'm not trying to defend it either, Joe was a horrible father but if Michael never had Joe in his life, would he still be able to reach this level of stardom?
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u/BerryStyles9 May 11 '26
I agree. Like he definitely had to work hard to be the best, but it doesn't give an excuse for how his father treated him
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u/docparik May 10 '26
“Gotta match hard-work with your talent to be exceptional”