Thomas Edison Quotes
170 quotes
Thomas Edison
American inventor and businessman
170 Quotes
The memory of my mother has always been a blessing to me
— Quoted in Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, Chapter 2
If parents pass enthusiasm along to their children, they will leave them an estate of incalculable value
— Edison as I Know Him
A good idea is never lost; even though its originator or possessor may die, it will someday be reborn in the mind of another
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter 14
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
— Edison quoted in Success Magazine, 1898
Be courageous! Whatever setbacks America has encountered, it has always emerged as a stronger and more prosperous nation
— Liberty Magazine Interview, 1922
The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around
— As quoted in The Book of Positive Quotations
I never pick up an item without thinking of how I might improve it
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter X: Working for Western Union
Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Martin, Chapter 24
My principal business consists in giving commercial value to the inventions of other men
— Scientific American, 1898
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success
— Harper's Monthly (1932)
There is always a better way
— Edison’s laboratory motto
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease
— Collier’s Magazine, 1929
I never allow myself to become discouraged under any circumstances
— The Electrical Engineer, 1889
The great trouble is that there are so many men engaged in raising the salaries of others that there is little chance to raise their own
— Interview, New York World (1882)
What you are will show in what you do
— Quoted in Edison: His Life and Inventions
I see no reason why the electric light should not be applied to street cars, omnibuses, and even railway trains
— Testimony before Congressional Committee, 1880
We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present
— Address to the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies
The thing I lose patience with most is the clock. Its hands move too fast for me
— Interview, Boy's Life magazine, 1922
We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work
— Associated Press Interview (1921)
Great thoughts originate in the muscles
— Collier's Magazine
The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
— Edison: The Man and His Work
The man who doesn't make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work
— Interview with Samuel Crowther, Edison: His Life and Inventions (1910)
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy—sun, wind, and tide
— New York Times interview, 1931
Failure is not always a mistake. It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying
— American Magazine
The world is not so bad after all. It is what we make it
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer, Chapter 26
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Restlessness is the discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Magazine Interview, 1921
What you need to invent, is an imagination and a pile of junk
— Quoted in The Book of Positive Quotations
There's a way to do it better—find it
— Statement to his assistants at Menlo Park
I start where the last man left off
— Harper's Monthly Magazine
We really haven’t got any time, you know, to wander far from the beaten track if we expect to get ahead in the world
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
There is no substitute for hard work
— Popular Science Monthly
Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think
— The Book of Edison's Own Words
To do much clear thinking, a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves
— Attributed in Edison: His Life and Inventions
Maturing is often learning to keep silent, not from lack of something to say, but from knowing when to say it
— Collected Writings
The three things that are most essential to achievement are common sense, hard work and stick-to-it-iv-ness
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Books will soon be obsolete in the schools. Scholars will be instructed through the eye
— The New York Dramatic Mirror, 1913
Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages
— Quoted in The New York Times, 1915
I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply the opportunities to begin again, this time more intelligently
— Interview, Edison: His Life and Inventions
Religion is all bunk
— New York Times interview, 1910
The light of learning kindles itself at every turn of the world
— Speech at the opening of the New York Electrical Exhibition, 1884
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time
— Edison’s Advice to His Son, Charles Edison
Not everything of value in life comes from books—experience the world
— Edison to a reporter, 1921
The most necessary task of civilization is to teach people how to think. It should be the primary purpose of our public schools
— Edison as I Know Him by Henry Ford
The use of electricity for lighting, heating, and power is the hope of the future
— Interview with New York Sun, 1882
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up
— Edison: His Life and Inventions (1910) by Dyer and Martin
Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison, 1948
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration
— Harper's Monthly, September 1932
Being busy does not always mean real work
— Edison as I Know Him by Henry Ford, Chapter II
Maturing is often learning to keep silent, not from lack of something to say, but from knowing when to say it
— Edison Papers, Rutgers University
Discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
To have a great idea, have a lot of them
— Widely attributed in interviews and speeches, c. 1915
The machine has got to be made workable, so that it will do the work required of it
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter XXVIII: The Electric Light
Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the thing that he can least afford to waste or lose
— Fortune Magazine
The real measure of success is the number of experiments that can be crowded into twenty-four hours
— Interview with B.C. Forbes, American Magazine, 1921
It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
To do anything, I must have it before me just as clear as sunshine
— Edison: His Life and Inventions (biography by Dyer & Martin)
The thing I lose patience with the most is the clock. Its hands move too fast
— Quoted in Edison: The Man and His Mind
I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work
— Harper's Monthly, 1932
We don’t know a millionth of one percent about anything
— New York Times interview, 1929
The machine has got to be made workable, so that it will do the work required of it
— Testimony before Congress, 1913
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Famous Leaders of Industry: The Life and Times of Thomas Edison
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Boy's Life magazine, 1920
The man who doesn't make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life
— A Stenographic Report of an Interview Conducted by B.C. Forbes
What you are will show in what you do
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success
— Edison’s Profile in Harper’s Magazine, 1890
What man creates is not always perfect; neither is it ever complete
— Edison Papers, Rutgers University, Notebook Entry (1888)
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature’s inexhaustible sources of energy—sun, wind, and tide
— Recorded Interview with The New York Times (1931)
The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense
— Edison, as quoted in Harper's Monthly (1932)
Not everything of value in life comes from books—experience the world
— Conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone
To do much clear thinking, a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction
— American Magazine interview, 1921
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time
— Attributed in Edison: His Life and Inventions (1910)
His mind was a marvel of creative energy, untiring, resourceful, always at work
— Reminiscences in Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter 1
Be courageous! Whatever setbacks America has encountered, it has always emerged as a stronger and more prosperous nation
— Speech at the 50th anniversary of the lightbulb, 1929
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
— Edison Papers, Rutgers University
I owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom
— Quoted in Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, Chapter 16
Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work
— Harper's Monthly, September 1932
Surprises and reverses can serve as an incentive for great accomplishment. There are no rules here, we're just trying to accomplish something
— Attributed by biographer Francis Jehl, Menlo Park Reminiscences
Everything on earth is waiting to be discovered, that means we only have to look
— Edison: Inventing the Century, Chapter 8
Being busy does not always mean real work
— A Stenographic Report of the Proceedings of the Edison Illuminating Companies
Restlessness is the discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Harper’s Monthly, 1890
Hell, there are no rules here—we're trying to accomplish something
— Quoted in Life Magazine, 1927
I never did a day's work in my life, it was all fun
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison (1948)
What you are will show in what you do
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
What a man’s mind can create, man’s character can control
— Edison, His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin
The value of an idea lies in the using of it
— Interview with Edward Marshall, New York Times, 1921
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease
— The Newark Advocate, 1903
I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that
— Edison, as quoted in The New York Times (1931)
The best thinking has been done in solitude
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
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
— Edison, His Life and Inventions
The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
There’s no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
I do not believe in the God of the theologians; but that there is a Supreme Intelligence I do not doubt
— New York Times, 1910
Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have
— Edison, His Life and Inventions
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time
— Attributed; widely quoted in interviews and profiles
Many inventions go through the same stages: first, they are considered ridiculous; then, they are violently opposed; finally, they are accepted as self-evident
— Attributed, Edison: His Life and Inventions, 1910
Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth
— Harper's Monthly, 1932
The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense
— The Electrical World (1903)
Discontent is the first necessity of progress
— Harper's Monthly (1890)
To my mind the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison (1948)
I believe that the science of chemistry alone almost proves the existence of an intelligent creator
— A Stenographic Report of Edison's Remarks on Chemistry, 1910
I owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom
— New York Times interview (1911)
The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil
— Edison, His Life and Inventions
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary
— Edison, as quoted in Success Magazine (1901)
The best thinking has been done in solitude
— Life Magazine Interview
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
— Harper's Monthly (1901)
I find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and try to invent it
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer, Chapter 9
The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around
— Quoted in The Book of Positive Quotations
The phonograph is not of any commercial value
— Interview with Scientific American, 1878
There’s a way to do it better — find it
— Edison as I Know Him
I owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom
— Edison, His Life and Inventions
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward
— Harper's Monthly, 1890 interview
What you are will show in what you do
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Dyer and Martin (1910)
I find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and try to invent it
— Interview with B.C. Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1921
Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning
— The Book of Edison's Own Words
The value of an invention is in the using of it
— Interview with B.C. Forbes, American Magazine (1921)
The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease
— Thomas Edison’s Interview in The Newark Advocate, 1902
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
— Edison as quoted in Harper's Monthly
Hell, there are no rules here—we're trying to accomplish something
— Remark to a laboratory assistant, quoted in Edison: A Biography
Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth
— Quoted in Thomas Alva Edison: Sixty Years of an Inventor’s Life by Francis Arthur Jones
The value of an invention is in the using of it
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
I never allow myself to become discouraged under any circumstances
— Harper’s Monthly, 1890
The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work
— Attributed in Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin
The value of an idea lies in the using of it
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up
— Harper's Magazine Interview
Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless
— Edison: His Life and Inventions (Dyer & Martin)
Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work
— Edison, as quoted in Harper's Monthly (1890)
What a man’s mind can create, man’s character can control
— Quoted in The Book of Edison
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
The only time I really become discouraged is when I think of all the things I would like to do and the little time I have in which to do them
— Harper's Monthly Magazine
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
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work
— Harper's Monthly Magazine, 1932
The value of an idea lies in the using of it
— Interview, Harper's Magazine, 1932
I never did a day's work in my life, it was all fun
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
To do anything, I must have it before me just as clear as sunshine
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer, Chapter 6
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary
— Harper's Monthly Magazine
The reason why so few of us succeed in the great enterprises is that none of us will do the work which seems insignificant
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter XLII: Miscellaneous Inventions and Letters
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison, 1948
Religion is all bunk
— Interview with George S. Bryan, New York Times Magazine, 1910
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success
— Edison, as quoted in Edison: His Life and Inventions by Dyer and Martin (1910)
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success
— Edison: His Life and Inventions
I believe that the science of chemistry alone almost proves the existence of an intelligent creator
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison, entry November 1878
Great ideas originate in the muscles
— Quoted in Harper's Monthly, Volume 105
I do not believe in the God of the theologians; but that there is a Supreme Intelligence I do not doubt
— New York Times Interview, 1910
Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Dyer & Martin, Chapter XXXII
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward
— Harper’s Monthly, 1890
Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge
— Notebook entry, c. 1902
Motion pictures are the latest expression of the idea, and they will continue to develop until they become a great educational force in the world
— Interview, The New York Dramatic Mirror, 1908
Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison, 1948
I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that
— Statement to Frank A. Gilloon, 1931
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
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter XLII: Miscellaneous Inventions and Letters
Motion pictures are the latest expression of the idea, and they will continue to develop until they become a great educational force in the world
— Edison’s testimony to the United States Congress, 1912
The perils of electricity are a thing of the past; they are overcome
— Interview, New York World, 1882
To do anything, I must have it before me just as clear as sunshine
— Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Martin, Chapter 18
Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning
— As quoted in 'Edison: His Life and Inventions'
His mind was a marvel of creative energy, untiring, resourceful, always at work
— Edison: His Life and Inventions, Chapter XVII
I find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and try to invent it
— Quoted in Dyer and Martin's Edison: His Life and Inventions
I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!
— Reported in The New York Times (1931)
What man creates is not always perfect; neither is it ever complete
— The Diary and Sundry Observations of Thomas Alva Edison
Books will soon be obsolete in the schools. Scholars will be instructed through the eye.
— Interview in The New York Dramatic Mirror (1913)
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
— Harper's Monthly, 1932
The best thinking has been done in solitude
— Edison: His Life and Inventions (biography by Dyer & Martin)
Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work
— Harper’s Magazine