--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I start where the last man left off. What…" description: "\"I start where the last man left off. What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of a man can achieve.\" — Thomas A. Edison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/thomas-a-edison-866_achieve_i-start-where-the-last-man-left-off-what_1559166.jpg" --- # I start where the last man left off. What the mind of man… ![“I start where the last man left off. What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of a man can achieve.” quote by Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/thomas-a-edison-866_achieve_i-start-where-the-last-man-left-off-what_1559166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/thomas-a-edison-866_achieve_i-start-where-the-last-man-left-off-what_1559166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/81f/thomas-a-edison-866_achieve_i-start-where-the-last-man-left-off-what_1559166.jpg) > “I start where the last man left off. What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of a man can achieve.” [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success follows when one builds on previous work, combining belief with effort to turn ideas into reality. **In simple terms:** Build on others, believe, achieve. Key Takeaway Leverage past work, trust yourself. Themes innovation perseverance belief Mood inspirational determined Type motivational pragmatic When to use this quote - research labs - entrepreneurial ventures - education projects Key Concepts progress collaboration mindset Questions to Reflect On - What past achievements can you extend? - How do belief and effort interact? A Different Perspective Belief alone isn’t enough without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-mind/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Man Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-achieve-380992/) [Man Conceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-conceive-310139/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-man/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Start Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-man-317877/) ## Related quotes > [If the mind of man can believe, the mind of man can achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-the-mind-of-man-can-believe-the-mind-of-man-can-achieve/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude. It is a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-clement-stone/what-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-the-mind-of-man-can/) [W. Clement Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-clement-stone/) > [“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/whatever-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-he-can-achieve/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorcas/what-ever-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-it-can-achieve/) [Dorcas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorcas/) > [Anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anything-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-it-can-achieve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/what-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-it-can-achieve/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/animation-can-explain-whatever-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-the-mind-of-man-can-conceive-and-believe-it-can-achieve-4/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I start where the last man left off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-start-where-the-last-man-left-off/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Without mysticism man can achieve nothing great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/without-mysticism-man-can-achieve-nothing-great/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Whatever the mind of man creates, should be controlled by man's character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/whatever-the-mind-of-man-creates-should-be-controlled-by-man-s/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Start with the man in the mirror. Start with yourself. Don't be looking at all the other things. Start with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/start-with-the-man-in-the-mirror-start-with-yourself-don-t-be-looking/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Stop trying to be THE MAN & start becoming A MAN. Too many GROWN boys walking around!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-trying-to-be-the-man-start-becoming-a-man-too-many-grown-boys/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['VERY WELL,' I SAID ANGRILY, 'START THE MAN, AND I'LL START THE SAME DAY FOR SOME OTHER NEWSPAPER AND BEAT HIM.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-bly/very-well-i-said-angrily-start-the-man-and-i-ll-start-the-same-day/) [Nellie Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-bly/) > [I have a lot to prove, because to be honest my start at Man United is not so good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-onana/i-have-a-lot-to-prove-because-to-be-honest-my-start-at-man-united-is/) [Andre Onana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-onana/) ## More by Thomas A. Edison > [We are striking it big in the electric light, better than my vivid imagination first conceived. Where this thing is going to stop Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/we-are-striking-it-big-in-the-electric-light-better-than-my-vivid/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-will-not-say-i-failed-1000-times-i-will-say-that-i-discovered-there/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Friendship is the heaven of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/friendship-is-the-heaven-of-life/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Even though I am nearly deaf, I seem to be gifted with a kind of inner hearing which enables me to detect sounds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/even-though-i-am-nearly-deaf-i-seem-to-be-gifted-with-a-kind-of-inner/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/being-busy-does-not-always-mean-real-work-the-object-of-all-work-is/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [The very first thing an executive must have is a fine memory. Of course it does not follow that a man with a fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-very-first-thing-an-executive-must-have-is-a-fine-memory-of/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Personally, I enjoy working about 18 hours a day. Besides the short catnaps I take each day, I average about four to five hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/personally-i-enjoy-working-about-18-hours-a-day-besides-the-short/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if on will only take the pains to train the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-brain-can-be-developed-just-the-same-as-the-muscles-can-be/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [“People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/people-who-will-not-turn-a-shovel-full-of-dirt-on-the-project-nor/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/when-i-have-fully-decided-that-a-result-is-worth-getting-i-go-ahead/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I remember that I was never able to get along at school. I was at the foot of the class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-remember-that-i-was-never-able-to-get-along-at-school-i-was-at-the/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Invention is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/invention-is-10-inspiration-and-90-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [There seems to be no limit to which some men will go to avoid the labor of thinking. Thinking is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/there-seems-to-be-no-limit-to-which-some-men-will-go-to-avoid-the/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Somewhere between the ages of eleven and fifteen, the average child begins to suffer from an atrophy, the paralysis of curiosity and the suspension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/somewhere-between-the-ages-of-eleven-and-fifteen-the-average-child/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Not only will atomic power be released, but someday we will harness the rise and fall of the tides and imprison the rays of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/not-only-will-atomic-power-be-released-but-someday-we-will-harness/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) [Explore all 345 Thomas A. Edison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) ## More Achieve quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) [Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) > [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. 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