Quotes By Thomas Alva Edison

Consider data without prejudice.

Whatever the mind of man creates, should be controlled by man's character.

The great trouble is that the preachers get the children from six to seven years of age and then it is almost impossible to do anything with them.

No, I haven't failed thousands of times. On the contrary, I have successfully eliminated thousands of ideas that do not work!

An idea is something that won't work unless you do.

Genius is not inspired. Inspiration is perspiration.

Youth doesn't take advice.

When there's no experimenting there's no progress. Stop experimenting and you go backward. If anything goes wrong, experiment until you get to the very bottom of the trouble.

I can never pick up a thing without wishing to improve it.

A failure teaches you that something can't be done-that way.

We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present.

I would rather have one man with enthusiasm working with me than ten who are complacent.

Nothing that's good works by itself, you've got to make the damn thing work.

I've realized that most of my best ideas have followed a good night's sleep.

Sticking to it is the genius.

Not only will atomic power be released, but someday we will harness the rise and fall of the tides and imprison the rays of the sun.

All bibles are man-made.

I am long on ideas, but short on time. I expect to live to be only about a hundred.

First be sure a thing is wanted or needed, then go ahead.

Smoking too much makes me nervous. Must lasso my natural tendency to acquire such habits. Holding heavy cigar constantly in my mouth has deformed my upper lip, it has a sort of Havana curl.