--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he…" description: "\"If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much.\" — Nikola Tesla" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg" --- # If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much. ![“If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much.” quote by Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg) > “If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much.” [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence and effort must be balanced; smarter planning reduces unnecessary toil. **In simple terms:** Work smarter, not harder. Key Takeaway Prioritize efficient strategies. Themes innovation productivity efficiency Mood pragmatic focused Type advice practical When to use this quote - project planning - research - entrepreneurship - daily tasks Key Concepts systems thinking time management Questions to Reflect On - How can you simplify your workflow? - What tasks can be automated? A Different Perspective Over‑optimizing can cause analysis paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Barnes literally thought  himself into a partnership with the great Edison! He thought himself into a fortune. He had nothing to start with, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/barnes-literally-thought-himself-into-a-partnership-with-the-great/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“I used to look at my dog and think “if you were a little smarter you could tell what you were thinking,” and he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-jungelaus/i-used-to-look-at-my-dog-and-think-if-you-were-a-little-smarter-you/) Fred Jungelaus > [Military service might sound like a totally different environment, but every experience you fall back on later, it makes you smarter. Why wouldn't that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/military-service-might-sound-like-a-totally-different-environment-but/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [The most famous self-made man in the world today is our own Edison. 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They say that when people think of me, they think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/mr-edison-gave-america-just-what-was-needed-at-that-moment-in-history/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“He presented himself at Mr Edison’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/he-presented-himself-at-mr-edison-s/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“Barnes won his goal, because he wanted to be a business associate of Mr. Edison, more than he wanted anything else. He created a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/barnes-won-his-goal-because-he-wanted-to-be-a-business-associate-of/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“I don’t know what idiot thought it was smarter to let a woman enter a room before him. 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I had simply explored science and found what seemed to me a far more powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-stenger/it-was-not-that-i-thought-i-was-smarter-i-had-simply-explored-science/) [Victor J. Stenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-j-stenger/) > [I thought I was so much smarter than everybody. And I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/i-thought-i-was-so-much-smarter-than-everybody-and-i-m-not/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [“He … loves her. Well, he’s crushing on her anyway.” I didn’t know the term but I understood its meaning well enough. I sighed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyxandra-harvey/he-loves-her-well-he-s-crushing-on-her-anyway-i-didn-t-know-the-term/) [Alyxandra Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyxandra-harvey/) > [I like to think I'm a bit smarter than I sometimes let on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-like-to-think-i-m-a-bit-smarter-than-i-sometimes-let-on/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) ## More by Nikola Tesla > [From childhood I was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much suffering, but to my present view, it was a blessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/from-childhood-i-was-compelled-to-concentrate-attention-upon-myself/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [In a time not distant, it will be possible to flash any image formed in thought on a screen and render it visible at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/in-a-time-not-distant-it-will-be-possible-to-flash-any-image-formed/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Women will ignore precedent and startle civilization with their progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/women-will-ignore-precedent-and-startle-civilization-with-their/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Great moments are born great opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/great-moments-are-born-great-opportunity/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [ If he \[Thomas Edison\] had a needle to find in a haystack, he would not stop to reason where it was most likely to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-he-thomas-edison-had-a-needle-to-find-in-a-haystack-he-would-not/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Man, like the universe, is a machine. Nothing enters our minds or determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/man-like-the-universe-is-a-machine-nothing-enters-our-minds-or/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/the-day-science-begins-to-study-non-physical-phenomena-it-will-make/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [All knowledge or form conception is evoked through the medium of the eye, either in response to disturbances directly received on the retina or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/all-knowledge-or-form-conception-is-evoked-through-the-medium-of-the/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe. Though seemingly affected only by its immediate surrounding, the sphere of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/every-living-being-is-an-engine-geared-to-the-wheelwork-of-the-2/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Perhaps I failed, but I did my best, These masters of mine may do the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/perhaps-i-failed-but-i-did-my-best-these-masters-of-mine-may-do-the/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Religion is simply an ideal. It is an ideal force that tends to free the human being from material bonds. I do not believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/religion-is-simply-an-ideal-it-is-an-ideal-force-that-tends-to-free/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [What we now want is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth, and the elimination of egoism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/what-we-now-want-is-closer-contact-and-better-understanding-between/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [When a coil is operated with currents of very high frequency, beautiful brush effects may be produced, even if the coil be of comparatively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/when-a-coil-is-operated-with-currents-of-very-high-frequency/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [Of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance, what Buddha called 'the greatest evil in the world.' The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/of-all-the-frictional-resistances-the-one-that-most-retards-human/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [I am even grateful to Einstein and others because through their erroneous theories they lead mankind away from that dangerous path I followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/i-am-even-grateful-to-einstein-and-others-because-through-their/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) [Explore all 248 Nikola Tesla quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nikola Tesla" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-wouldn-t-sweat-as-much/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-wouldn-t-sweat-as-much/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/nikola-tesla-1383_ifs_if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-woul_1556391.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much.” — Nikola Tesla", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nikola Tesla", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If Mr. Edison had thought smarter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-wouldn-t-sweat-as-much/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/if-mr-edison-had-thought-smarter-he-wouldn-t-sweat-as-much/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```