Thomas Alva Edison has been described as America’s greatest inventor. He held a world record with 1,093 patents. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial research laboratory. Inspirational Thomas Edison quotes will motivate you to never quit, and encourage you for success with greatness.
If you’re searching for famous quotes about life that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of motivational quotes by Henry Ford, thought-provoking Nikola Tesla quotes, and best Albert Einstein quotes.
Top Thomas Edison Quotes
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. Thomas A. Edison
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. Thomas A. Edison
When you become quiet, it just dawns on you. 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
The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life. Thomas A. Edison
We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison
A genius is a talented person who does his homework. Thomas A. Edison
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. Thomas A. Edison
I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply opportunities to find out what doesn’t work. Thomas A. Edison
The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick to itiveness; third, common sense. Thomas A. Edison
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus. Thomas A. Edison
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety nine percent perspiration. Thomas A. 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. Thomas A. Edison
If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas A. Edison
Having a vision for what you want is not enough. Vision without execution is hallucination. Thomas A. Edison
When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this you haven’t. Thomas Edison
There is a better way for everything. Find it. Thomas A. Edison
Non violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. 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 Edison
You can’t realize your dreams unless you have one to begin with. Thomas A. Edison
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. Thomas A. Edison
Success is the product of the severest kind of mental and physical application. Thomas A. Edison
Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t. Thomas A. Edison
The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world. Thomas A. Edison
There are no rules here we’re trying to accomplish something. Thomas A. Edison
The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if on will only take the pains to train the mind to think. Thomas A. Edison
The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. Thomas A. Edison
Each time you fail, you have eliminated another wrong option. 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 owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom. Thomas A. Edison
The most necessary task of civilization is to teach people how to think. It should be the primary purpose of our public schools. The mind of a child is naturally active, it develops through exercise. Give a child plenty of exercise, for body and brain. The trouble with our way of educating is that it does not give elasticity to the mind. It casts the brain into a mold. It insists that the child must accept. It does not encourage original thought or reasoning, and it lays more stress on memory than observation. Thomas A. Edison
When we learn how to store electricity, we will cease being apes ourselves; until then we are tailless orangutans. You see, we should utilize natural forces and thus get all of our power. Sunshine is a form of energy, and the winds and the tides are manifestations of energy. Do we use them? Oh, no! We burn up wood and coal, as renters burn up the front fence for fuel. We live like squatters, not as if we owned the property. Thomas A. Edison
I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world. Thomas A. Edison
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. Thomas A. Edison
I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun. thomas edison
Continued innovation is the best way to beat the competition. 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
The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do. Thomas A. Edison
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. 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. Thomas Edison
The secret of success is focus of purpose. Thomas A. Edison
To do much clear thinking a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction. Thomas A. Edison
Fools call wise men fools. A wise man never calls any man a fool. Thomas A. Edison
Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity out there than ability. We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation. Thomas A. Edison
Discontent is the first necessity of progress. Thomas A. Edison
Nature is what we know. We do not know the gods of religions. And nature is not kind, or merciful, or loving. If God made me the fabled God of the three qualities of which I spoke mercy, kindness, love He also made the fish I catch and eat. And where do His mercy, kindness, and love for that fish come in? No; nature made us nature did it all not the gods of the religions. Thomas 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
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits. Thomas Edison
Education isn’t play and it can’t be made to look like play. It is hard, hard work. But it can be made interesting work. Thomas A. Edison
I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it. Thomas A. Edison
The First 40 hours of work per week are for survival. Everything after that is for success. Thomas A. Edison
There’s a way to do it better find it. Thomas A. Edison
Accomplishing something provides the only real satisfaction in life. Thomas A. Edison
I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work. 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
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
Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith and go forward. Thomas A. Edison
I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill. Thomas Edison
The perils of overwork are slight compared with the dangers of inactivity. Thomas A. Edison
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 A. Edison
Vision without execution is delusion. Thomas A. Edison
Nearly every person 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 Edison
There is no limit to which a man will not go to avoid thinking. Thomas A. Edison
We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles. Thomas A. Edison
The greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child. Thomas A. Edison
All bibles are man made. Thomas A. Edison
I never quit until I get what I want. Thomas A. Edison
There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the real labor of thinking. Thomas A. Edison
Remember, life is all what you focus on. Learn lessons and keep moving forward towards your goals and dreams. I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. Thomas A. Edison
People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from the United States than will the People who supply all the material and do all the work. This is the terrible thing about interest. But here is the point If the Nation can issue a dollar bond it can issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good makes the bill good also. The difference between the bond and the bill is that the bond lets the money broker collect twice the amount of the bond and an additional 20%. Whereas the currency, the honest sort provided by the Constitution pays nobody but those who contribute in some useful way. It is absurd to say our Country can issue bonds and cannot issue currency. Both are promises to pay, but one fattens the usurer and the other helps the People. If the currency issued by the People were no good, then the bonds would be no good, either. It is a terrible situation when the Government, to insure the National Wealth, must go in debt and submit to ruinous interest charges at the hands of men who control the fictitious value of gold. Thomas A. Edison
We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles. Thomas A. Edison
Nature is truly wonderful. Only man is truly foul. Thomas Edison
Tomorrow Is My Exam But I Don’t Care Because A Single Sheet Of Paper Can’t Decide My Future. Thomas A. Edison
Opportunity is often missed because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas A. Edison
I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1000 steps. Thomas A. Edison
A good intention, with a bad approach, often leads to a poor result. Thomas Edison
Be courageous! Have faith! Go forward. Thomas A. Edison
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 A. Edison
Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose. Thomas A. Edison
If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas Edison
I get my ideas from listening from within. 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
Work while others are wishing. Thomas A. Edison
So far as the religion of the day is concerned, it is a damned fake Religion is all bunk. Thomas A. Edison
The most necessary task of civilization is to teach people how to think. It should be the primary purpose of our public schools. The mind of a child is naturally active, it develops through exercise. Give a child plenty of exercise, for body and brain. The trouble with our way of educating is that it does not give elasticity to the mind. It casts the brain into a mold. It insists that the child must accept. It does not encourage original thought or reasoning, and it lays more stress on memory than observation. Thomas A. Edison
I have never failed, I’ve only shown the way I did it before doesn’t work. Thomas A. Edison
People are not remembered by how few times they fail, but by how often they succeed. Every wrong step is another step forward. Thomas A. Edison
I haven’t failed,I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. Thomas Edison
My success is due more to my ability to work continuously on one thing without stopping than to any other single quality. Thomas A. Edison
As Edison is credited with saying, Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. We all want to be successful, but most of us aren’t willing to do what those who are successful did to attain it. We want success without sacrifice, but you can’t have one without the other! Thomas A. Edison
The trouble with most people is that they quit before they start. 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 do not believe in the God of the theologians; but that there is a Supreme Intelligence I do not doubt. Thomas A. Edison