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Thomas Edison wasn’t just the person who gave us the light bulb—he was a master of persistence, innovation, and wisdom. His words continue to inspire dreamers, thinkers, and go-getters to push through challenges and never give up. If you’re in need of motivation, look no further than Thomas Edison’s wise sayings.

If you’re chasing a dream, keep Edison’s words in mind. Thomas Edison’s wise sayings teach us that resilience, curiosity, and persistence are the real keys to success. Keep going—your light bulb moment is coming!

Who is Thomas Edison?

Thomas Edison was the mastermind behind some of the most game-changing inventions in history. From the electric light bulb to the phonograph and motion pictures, his brilliance reshaped modern life.

With over 1,000 patents, Edison wasn’t just an inventor—he was a relentless problem solver who turned ideas into reality.

But what made Edison truly remarkable? His mindset. He believed success wasn’t about luck but persistence. One of the best Thomas Edison wise sayings is: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” He lived by that motto, proving that determination beats talent every time.

Another unforgettable Thomas Edison wise saying? “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” His never-give-up attitude is a lesson for anyone chasing big dreams.

Edison’s legacy isn’t just about inventions—it’s about the power of resilience, creativity, and unwavering belief in possibility.

Top 90 Thomas Edison Wise Sayings

Unlock the brilliance of Thomas Edison’s wisdom with timeless sayings that blend insight and inspiration.

On Perseverance & Hard Work

• “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
• “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.”
• “There is no substitute for hard work.”
• “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”
• “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.”
• “I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.”
• “We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
• “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

Read: 75 Positivity Quotes to Power Your Workday

On Success & Failure

• “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
• “The value of an idea lies in the use of it.”
• “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.”
• “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.”
• “Nearly every person 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.”
• “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
• “I start where the last man left off.”
• “I never quit until I get what I’m after.”
• “The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.”
• “Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.”

On Innovation & Creativity

• “There’s a way to do it better—find it.”
• “Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.”
• “The best thinking has been done in solitude.”
• “The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”
• “To do much clear thinking, a person must arrange for regular periods of solitude when they can concentrate and indulge the imagination without distraction.”
• “Discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.”
• “Vision without execution is hallucination.”
• “Inventors don’t have time for married life.”
• “Great ideas originate in the muscles.”
• “Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth.”

On Education & Learning

• “I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
• “I find out what the world needs. Then, I go ahead and try to invent it.”
• “A good intention, with a bad approach, often leads to a poor result.”
• “Hell, there are no rules here—we’re trying to accomplish something!”
• “The greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child.”
• “I readily absorb ideas from every source, frequently starting where the last person left off.”
• “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.”
• “Fools call wise men fools. A wise man never calls any man a fool.”
• “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”
• “I owe my success to the fact that I never had a clock in my workroom.”

Read: 5 Steps to Take When You Feel Like a Loser

On Life & Character

• “Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.”
• “Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.”
• “As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.”
• “The man who doesn’t make up his mind to cultivate the habit of thinking misses the greatest pleasure in life.”
• “Waste is worse than loss.”
• “The world owes nothing to any man, but every man owes something to the world.”
• “I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply opportunities to find out what doesn’t work.”
• “There is far more opportunity than there is ability.”
• “I believe that the science of chemistry alone almost proves the existence of an intelligent creator.”
• “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet, and the cause and prevention of disease.”

On Work & Productivity

• “The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.”
• “Be courageous! I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous.”
• “To my mind, the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity.”
• “Success is based on imagination plus ambition and the will to work.”
• “I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill.”
• “I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.”
• “Nothing that’s good works by itself—you’ve got to make the damn thing work.”
• “I don’t live with the past; I am living for today and tomorrow.”
• “Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.”
• “What you are will show in what you do.”

Read: 100 Quotes About the Spirit of Christmas

On Science & Technology

• “The body is a community made up of its innumerable cells or inhabitants.”
• “The thing I lose patience with the most is the clock. Its hands move too fast.”
• “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.”
• “It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.”
• “There is always a better way.”
• “Not everything of value in life comes from books—experience has taught me more than any book ever could.”
• “I never pick up an item without thinking of how I can improve it.”
• “I am long on ideas but short on time.”
• “Failure is the first step to success.”
• “A man’s best friend is a good tool.”

On Innovation & Progress

• “To invent, all you need is a good imagination and a pile of junk.”
• “The real measure of success is the number of experiments that can be crowded into 24 hours.”
• “Success depends on how many experiments you can do in 24 hours.”
• “I believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system.”
• “I am not a scientist. I am an inventor.”
• “I believe in the existence of a Supreme Intelligence.”
• “There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the real labor of thinking.”
• “My mind is incapable of conceiving such a thing as a soul.”
• “We don’t know a millionth of one percent about anything.”
• “The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles.”

Read: Grateful Quotes to Brighten Your Day

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