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
Topics: Adversity, Difficulties, Failure, Satisfaction, Discontent, Progress
If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Confidence, Doing, Possibilities, Potential, Ability
Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration.
—Thomas Edison
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Opportunity, Work, Opportunities, Luck, Hard Work
Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
—Thomas Edison
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Resilience, Wisdom, Patience
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
—Thomas Edison
The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Thinking, Solitude
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
Topics: Action, Accomplishment
As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Worry, Managing Worries
I failed my way to success.
—Thomas Edison
Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.
—Thomas Edison
Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Persistence, Perseverance, Virtues, Ideas
Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Creativity
There ain’t no rules around here.
We’re trying to accomplish something.
There’s a way to do it better — find it.
—Thomas Edison
It is remarkable to what lengths people will go to avoid thought.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Thought
Show me a completely contented person and I’ll show you a failure.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Failure
The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.
—Thomas Edison
The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.
—Thomas Edison
Topics: Ability
Related Authors
- Charles F. Kettering American Inventor
- Alexander Graham Bell Scottish-born American Inventor
- Robert H. Goddard American Inventor
- Soichiro Honda Japanese Inventor
- Friedrich Koenig German Inventor
- Pierre Beaumarchais French Inventor
- Walt Disney American Entrepreneur
- George Washington Carver American Scientist
- An Wang Chinese-born American Engineer
- Benjamin Franklin American Founding Father, Inventor