Thomas A. Edison Famous Quotations

Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931) was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph and a light bulb. These famous quotes dealing with goals, achievement, and success have been attributed to him.

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Great ideas originate in the muscles.
I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.
I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.
If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
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.
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.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.
Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.
The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.
The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.
The value of an idea lies in the using of it.
There is far more opportunity than there is ability.
There is no substitute for hard work.
What a man's mind can create, man's character can control.

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