Thomas Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman, widely regarded as one of the greatest inventors in history. He held over 1,000 patents for various inventions, which had a profound impact on modern life.
Edison is most famously known for developing the first practical and commercially viable incandescent light bulb. He worked tirelessly to find the right materials and design to create a long-lasting and efficient bulb. In 1877, Edison invented the phonograph, a device that could record and reproduce sound. This invention revolutionized the way music and audio were preserved and enjoyed.
Here are 47 best Thomas Edison quotes on life, failure, and success.
1. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
2. “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense.”
3. “I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.”
4. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
5. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
6. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
7. “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”
8. “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.”
9. “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”
10. “The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.”
11. “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”
12. “Being busy does not always mean real work.
13. “The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life.”
14. “There is no substitute for hard work.”
15. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
16. “Restlessness is discontent, and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.”
17. “The best thinking has been done in solitude.”
18. “I start where the last man left off.”
19. “Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something.”
20. “I never pick up an item without thinking of how I might improve it.”
21. “Discontent is the first necessity of progress.”
22. “I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.”
23. “Vision without execution is hallucination.”
24. “What you are will show in what you do.”
25. “Your ideas are valuable. If you have one, I’ll take it. Of course, I’ll have to improve it.”
26. “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.”
27. “The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”
28. “I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”
29. “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will instruct his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
30. “The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life.”
31. “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”
32. “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
33. “The thing I lose patience with the most is the clock. Its hands move too fast.”
34. “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait ’til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
35. “The value of an idea lies in using it.”
36. “To do much clear thinking, a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction.”
37. “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”
38. “The thing I lose patience with the most is the clock. Its hands move too fast.”
39. “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.”
40. “The greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child.”
41. “To do much clear thinking, a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction.”
42. “I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.”
43. “The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”
44. “Your ideas are valuable. If you have one, I’ll take it. Of course, I’ll have to improve it.”
45. “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
46. “I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”
47. “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.”
These quotes reflect Thomas Edison’s philosophy and his relentless pursuit of innovation and progress. They continue to inspire and motivate people to this day.
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