Thomas Alva Edison was one of the most prominent inventors from the era of Yankee ingenuity. Known as the founder of the modern age of electricity, Edison flaunted an unbelievable number of 1,093 patents. With inventions such as the light bulb, microphone, phonograph, motion picture camera, and many more that are quintessential in our daily lives, he was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant inventors.
Throughout his lifetime, Edison uttered numerous quotes about science, inventiveness, being inquisitive, and about life in general. These quotes have served as inspiration to countless individuals over the years and still continues to do so. Following is a list of the 50 best quotes by Thomas Alva Edison that will persuade you to think in an unprecedented manner:
1. “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” -Thomas Alva Edison
2. “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” -Thomas Alva Edison
3. “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” -Thomas Alva Edison
4. “I’ve never made a mistake. I’ve only learned from experience.” -Thomas Alva Edison
5. “Good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” -Thomas Alva Edison
6. “What you are will show in what you do.” -Thomas Alva Edison
7. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -Thomas Alva Edison
8. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas Alva Edison
9. “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” -Thomas Alva Edison
10. “Success is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration!” -Thomas Alva Edison
11. “Hard work, nothing to divert my thought, clear air and simple food made my life very pleasant.” -Thomas Alva Edison
12. “Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you can put it together with a good imagination and invent something.” -Thomas Alva Edison
13. “Discontent is the first necessity of progress.” -Thomas Alva Edison
14. “You can’t realize your dreams unless you have one, to begin with.” -Thomas Alva Edison
15. “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” -Thomas Alva Edison
16. “Vision without execution is hallucination.” -Thomas Alva Edison
17. “Not everything of value in life comes from books- experience the world.” -Thomas Alva Edison
18. “I don’t live with the past; I am living for today and tomorrow.” -Thomas Alva Edison
19. “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.” -Thomas Alva Edison
20. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” -Thomas Alva Edison
21. “I readily absorb ideas from every source, frequently starting where the last person left off.” -Thomas Alva Edison
22. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” -Thomas Alva Edison
23. “What a man’s mind can create, man’s character should control.” -Thomas Alva Edison
24. “Never get discouraged if you fail. Learn from it. Keep trying.” -Thomas Alva Edison
25. “We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present.” -Thomas Alva Edison
26. “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.” -Thomas Alva Edison
27. “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 Alva Edison
28. “I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.” -Thomas Alva Edison
29. “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 Alva Edison
30. “Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something.” -Thomas Alva Edison
31. “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 Alva Edison
32. “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 Alva Edison
33. “The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.” -Thomas Alva Edison
34. “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 Alva Edison
35. “The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil.” -Thomas Alva Edison
36. “There’s a way to do it better – find it.” -Thomas Alva Edison
37. “Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.” -Thomas Alva Edison
38. “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is a success.” -Thomas Alva Edison
39. “I start where the last man left off.” -Thomas Alva Edison
40. “Fools call wise men fools. A wise man never calls any man a fool.” -Thomas Alva Edison
41. “I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.” -Thomas Alva Edison
42. “Personally, I enjoy working about 18 hours a day. Besides the short catnaps I take each day, I average about four to five hours of sleep per night.” -Thomas Alva Edison
43. “Great ideas originate in the muscles.” -Thomas Alva Edison
44. “A genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.” -Thomas Alva Edison
45. “My main purpose in life is to make enough money to create ever more inventions…. The dove is my emblem…. I want to save and advance human life, not destroy it…. I am proud of the fact that I have never invented weapons to kill.” -Thomas Alva Edison
46. “You can’t realize your dreams unless you begin with one.” -Thomas Alva Edison
47. “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense.” -Thomas Alva Edison
48. “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 Alva Edison
49. “Continued innovation is the best way to beat the competition.” -Thomas Alva Edison
50. “I owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom.” -Thomas Alva Edison
