Thomas A. Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11 1847 - October 18 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life in the 20th century. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention, and can therefore be credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. Some of the inventions attributed to him were not completely original but amounted to improvements of earlier inventions or were actually created by numerous employees working under his direction. Nevertheless, Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,097 U.S. patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
50 Quotes
The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.
— Thomas A. Edison
What you are will show in what you do.
— Thomas A. Edison
The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants.
— Thomas A. Edison
What man's mind can create, man's character can control.
— Thomas A. Edison
Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!
— Thomas A. Edison
Discontent is the first necessity of progress.
— Thomas A. Edison
I start where the last man left off.
— Thomas A. Edison
There's a way to do better... find it.
— Thomas A. Edison
Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless.
— Thomas A. Edison
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
— Thomas A. Edison
I have not failed. I've just found 10, 000 ways that won't work.
— Thomas A. Edison
His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define; Of inspiration one percent, of perspiration, ninety nine.
— Thomas A. Edison
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
— Thomas A. Edison
The value of an idea lies in the using of it.
— Thomas A. Edison
To have a great idea, have a lot of them.
— Thomas A. Edison
Great ideas originate in the muscles.
— Thomas A. Edison
I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill.
— Thomas A. Edison
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.
— Thomas A. Edison
We don't know one-millionth of one percent about anything.
— Thomas A. Edison
The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.
— Thomas A. Edison
Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth.
— Thomas A. Edison
The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around
— Thomas A. Edison
I know this world is ruled by infinite intelligence. Everything that surrounds us- everything that exists -- proves that there are infinite laws behind it. There can be no denying this fact. It is mathematical in its precision.
— Thomas A. Edison
There is far more opportunity than there is ability.
— Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.
— Thomas A. Edison
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.
— Thomas A. Edison
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
— Thomas A. Edison
Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. that's not the place to become discouraged.
— Thomas A. Edison
When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes.
— Thomas A. Edison
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
— Thomas A. Edison
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.
— Thomas A. Edison
If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.
— Thomas A. Edison
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
— Thomas A. Edison
Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.
— Thomas A. Edison
Hell, there are no rules here, we are trying to accomplish something.
— Thomas A. Edison
Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
— Thomas A. Edison
To my mind the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity.
— Thomas A. Edison
The best thinking has been done in solitude.
— Thomas A. Edison
One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But speaking for myself, I can honestly say this is not so... I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.
— Thomas A. Edison
There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.
— Thomas A. Edison
It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.
— Thomas A. Edison
There ain't no rules around here, we're trying to accomplish something.
— Thomas A. Edison
Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless.
— Thomas A. Edison
I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.
— Thomas A. Edison
I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.
— Thomas A. Edison
There is no substitute for hard work.
— Thomas A. Edison
As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.
— Thomas A. Edison
Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.
— Thomas A. Edison
I have never seen the slightest scientific proof of the religious ideas of heaven and hell, of future life for individuals, or of a personal God. So far as religion of the day is concerned, it is a damned fake… Religion is all bunk.
— Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
— Thomas A. Edison