Selected Quotes by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison- Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He or his companies developed many devices in such fields as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures.
He has 1,093 U.S. Patents and 2,332 patents worldwide and is responsible for every item that uses electricity as well as the concrete in commercial buildings. He created the motion picture industry, the recording industry, the X-ray machine through his inventions like the phonograph, motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb.
He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention by working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
He is considered as the father of modern corporate research & development. Many mistakenly think Edison was a better inventor than businessman, but he created companies, was a marketing genius and amassed $200 million in wealth in today's dollars). He changed the world as we know it.
The Edison Innovation Foundation stated that Edison operated on four simple principles which was taught to him by his loving mother:
Never get discouraged if you fail. Learn from it. Keep trying.
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom, Goals
"Not everything of value in life comes from books- experience the world."
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
Never stop learning. Read the entire panorama of literature.
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
Learn with both your head and hands.
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
Quotes by Thomas Edison:
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"The value of an idea lies in the using of it."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"To have a great idea, have a lot of them."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"Great ideas originate in the muscles."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success."
Thomas Edison, Ideas, Business, Success
"I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work."
Thomas Edison, Ideas, Goals, Work
"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 Edison, Ideas, Goals
"I start where the last man left off."
Thomas Edison, Ideas, Goals
"One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But... I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success."
Thomas Edison, Success, Happiness
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
Thomas Edison, Success
"There is far more opportunity than there is ability."
Thomas Edison, Opportunities
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
Thomas Edison, Opportunities, Work
"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 Edison, Opportunities, Life
"Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits."
Thomas Edison, Opportunities, Life
"What you are will show in what you do."
Thomas Edison, Life
"Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth."
Thomas Edison, Life
"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves."
Thomas Edison, Life
"There is no substitute for hard work."
Thomas Edison, Life
"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Thomas Edison, Ideas
"There will one day spring from the brain of science a machine or force so fearful in its potentialities, so absolutely terrifying, that even man, the fighter, who will dare torture and death in order to inflict torture and death, will be appalled, and so abandon war forever."
Thomas Edison, Ideas, Science, Anger and Fighting
"The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil."
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
"The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around."
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
Thomas Edison, Intelligence/Wisdom
"There's a way to do it better - find it."
Thomas Edison, Goals
"Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have."
Thomas Edison, Wealth
"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun."
Thomas Edison, Work
"Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing."
Thomas Edison, Work
"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 Edison, Courage, Goals, Society
"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something."
Thomas Edison, Life, Goals
"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 Edison, Finance
"I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world."
Thomas Edison, Friendship
"The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense."
Thomas Edison, Success
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."