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."

“Great ideas originate in the muscles.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

All Quotes by Thomas A. Edison

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Business

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Good

“The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Best

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

“The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

“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

“Great ideas originate in the muscles.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Great

“Religion is all bunk.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Religion

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Success

“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

“There is no substitute for hard work.”

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

“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

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Work

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Art

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Friendship

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Life

“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

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

— Thomas A. Edison

Failure