39 Best Thomas Edison Quotes (OPPORTUNITY)

Top 12 Most Famous Thomas A. Edison Quotes (BEST)

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

The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life. — The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the **habit** of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life.

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

There is no substitute for hard work. — There is no substitute for **hard work**.

The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world.

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

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

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

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

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits. — Everything comes to him who **hustles** while he waits.

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration.

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.

27 Inspirational Thomas Edison Quotes to Inspire Success (INNOVATION)

“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.”
Thomas Edison

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

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.

The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense. — The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: **hard work**, stick-to-itiveness, and common sense.

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

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

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

There is far more opportunity than there is ability. — There is far more **opportunity** than there is ability.

We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation. — We should remember that good fortune often happens when **opportunity** meets with **preparation**.

When I have finally decided that a result is worth getting, I go ahead on it and make trial after trial until it comes.

I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent. My main purpose in life is to make money so that I can afford to go on creating more inventions. — I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent. My main **purpose** in life is to make **money** so that I can afford to go on creating more inventions.

Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success. — Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is **success**.

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

Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.

Discontent is the first necessity of progress.

Our schools are not teaching students to think. It is astonishing how many young people have difficulty in putting their brains definitely and systematically to work.

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.

The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil. — The best thinking has been done in **solitude**. The worst has been done in turmoil.

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. — 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.

Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.

Fools call wise men fools. A wise man never calls any man a fool.

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

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

A genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework. — A genius is often merely a **talented** person who has done all of his or her **homework**.

I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. I wish I had more years left.

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

Thomas Alva Edison Short Biography

Born on 11 February 1847 in Milan, Ohio, United States, Thomas Alva Edison was the inventor responsible for creating the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the earlier versions of the light bulb.

In 1866, he moved to Kentucky and worked as a news wire for the Associated Press, during this time Edison spent most of his days coming up with inventions.

On June 1, 1869, he received his first patent for the electric vote recorder.

In 1875, at the age of 28, Edison enrolled at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art for a four-year chemistry course. A year later Edison made one of his most influential contributions by establishing the Menlo Park Laboratory, an industrial research lab.

In 1877, Edison made his most original discovery; the phonograph, an invention that would start the era of sound recording. For this invention, he gained notoriety as the “Wizard of Menlo Park”.

Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company in 1878 after successfully creating the first commercially practical incandescent light bulb. The first public demonstration of his bulb was held on December 31, 1879.

Thomas Edison is considered to be one of the most influential inventors of all time, holding over 1000 US patents, Edison has contributed greatly to the world of science.

Further Reading: