Thomas A. Edison

Thomas A. Edison

30 quotes

Known primarily as an American inventor and businessman, Thomas A. Edison also happens to be one of the most quotable figures in our collection. Thomas A. Edison's observations on Work are as sharp as their thoughts on Success, revealing genuine breadth of mind. Our collection holds 44 quotes from Thomas A. Edison, each offering a different angle on Work, Success, Great, Failure, and Business. As Thomas A. Edison put it: "To my mind the old masters are not art their value is in their scarcity."

“I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Success

All Quotes by Thomas A. Edison

“Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Failure

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Motivational

“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

Intelligence

“I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Life

“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 A. Edison

Time

“Religion is all bunk.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Religion

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

“To have a great idea, have a lot of them.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

“I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident they came by work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

“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 A. Edison

Money

“Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Success

“To my mind the old masters are not art their value is in their scarcity.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Art

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

“Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Business

“Great ideas originate in the muscles.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

“I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Friendship

“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

“I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Success

“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 A. Edison

Business

“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 A. Edison

Death