30 Inspirational Thomas Edison Quotes to Spark Success

Thomas Edison's words still light the way for anyone building something meaningful. Quotes can focus your mind, revive your courage, and give practical guidance when you face doubt. Use these quotes as morning mantras, captions, stationery reminders, or quick boosts during work and study sessions to refocus, reenergize, and keep moving forward.

Motivational quotes

• "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." — Thomas Edison
• "If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." — Thomas Edison
• "Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits." — Thomas Edison
• "Be courageous. I have seen many people give up at the moment of success." — Thomas Edison
• "There's a way to do it better—find it." — Thomas Edison

Success quotes

• "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." — Thomas Edison
• "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." — Thomas Edison
• "The three great essentials to achieve anything are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense." — Thomas Edison
• "Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success." — Thomas Edison
• "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." — Thomas Edison

Innovation & creativity quotes

• "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." — Thomas Edison
• "I find out what the world needs. Then I proceed to invent it." — Thomas Edison
• "The value of an idea lies in the using of it." — Thomas Edison
• "Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless." — Thomas Edison
• "Vision without execution is hallucination." — Thomas Edison

Persistence & work ethic quotes

• "There is no substitute for hard work." — Thomas Edison
• "When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven't." — Thomas Edison
• "Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress." — Thomas Edison
• "I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun." — Thomas Edison
• "I never quit until I get what I want." — Thomas Edison

Life wisdom quotes

• "A great value in life is health." — Thomas Edison
• "The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around." — Thomas Edison
• "No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it." — Thomas Edison
• "You can never plan the future by the past." — Thomas Edison
• "What you are will show in what you do." — Thomas Edison

Daily inspiration & perspective quotes

• "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." — Thomas Edison
• "We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles." — Thomas Edison
• "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." — Thomas Edison
• "We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything." — Thomas Edison
• "The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil." — Thomas Edison

Quotes can be short sparks or long lamps — both useful. Keep a few of these on your desk, phone wallpaper, or journal to revisit when you need resolve, clarity, or a nudge to experiment. A single line of wisdom can change how you approach a problem and, over time, transform your mindset and daily life.