The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The most necessary task of civilization is to teach people how to think. It should be the primary purpose of our public… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. It is astonishing how many have… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Incurably religious, that is the best way to describe the mental condition of so many people. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Most of my ideas belonged to other people who never bothered to develop them. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Failure is really a matter of conceit. People don't work hard because, in their conceit, they imagine they'll succeed without ever making… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
It is the people who constitute the basis of Government credit. Why then cannot the people have benefit of their own gilt-edge… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The first requisite for success is to develop the ability to focus and apply your mental and physical energies to the problem… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The trouble with most people is that they quit before they start. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The inventor can't do it all, you've got to change people. We have an enormous capacity to invent super-machinery. But our desire… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
That is to say, under the old way any time we wish to add to the national wealth we are compelled to… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project (Muscle Shoals Dam) nor contribute a pound of material,… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
People are not remembered by how few times they fail, but by how often they succeed. Every wrong step is another step… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
I have far more respect for the person with a single idea who gets there than for the person with a thousand… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The strength of the Constitution, lies in the will of the people to defend it. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
It is absurd to say that our country can issue $30,000,000 in bonds and not $30,000,000 in currency. Both are promises to… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
It is remarkable to what lengths people will go to avoid thought. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
If the Nation can issue a dollar bond it can issue a dollar bill. The element that makes the bond good makes… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The three things that are most essential to achievement are common sense, hard work and stick-to-it-iv-ness... Unfortunately, many of life's failures are… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
We are striking it big in the electric light, better than my vivid imagination first conceived. Where this thing is going to stop Lord… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Even though I am nearly deaf, I seem to be gifted with a kind of inner hearing which enables me to detect sounds and… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The very first thing an executive must have is a fine memory. Of course it does not follow that a man with a fine… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
Personally, I enjoy working about 18 hours a day. Besides the short catnaps I take each day, I average about four to five hours… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if on will only take the pains to train the… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
“People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from… — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
I remember that I was never able to get along at school. I was at the foot of the class. — Thomas A. Edison Copy Share Image
