Thomas 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 Edison

Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.

—Thomas Edison

I have never failed, I’ve only shown the way I did it before doesn’t work.

—Thomas Edison

We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.

—Thomas 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 Edison

When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven’t.

—Thomas Edison

Nature is truly wonderful. Only man is truly foul.

—Thomas 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 Edison

The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.

—Thomas 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 Edison

I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

—Thomas Edison

believe that the science of chemistry alone almost proves the existence of an intelligent creator.

—Thomas Edison

If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

—Thomas Edison

There’s a way to do it better – find it.

—Thomas Edison

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.

—Thomas Edison

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.

—Thomas Edison

It’s obvious that we don’t know one millionth of one percent about anything.

—Thomas Edison

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

—Thomas Edison

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

—Thomas Edison

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

—Thomas Edison

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

—Thomas 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 Edison

The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.

—Thomas Edison

I never did a day’s work in my life, it was all fun.

—Thomas Edison

It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.

—Thomas Edison

I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.

—Thomas 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 Edison

We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles.

—Thomas Edison

There are no rules here — we’re trying to accomplish something.

—Thomas Edison

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.

—Thomas Edison