Thomas Edison

Light bulb, phonograph, inventor

Modern influential 89 sayings

Sayings by Thomas Edison

I have friends in the electrical industry who would be very happy to see me dead.

Late 19th Century — Reported amidst his 'War of Currents' with Westinghouse.
Humorous Unverifiable

My life has been a series of experiments.

Early 20th Century — Personal reflection.
Humorous Unverifiable

I never had a bad break in my life. I have had a lot of hard ones, but never a bad one.

Early 20th Century — Reflecting on challenges.
Humorous Unverifiable

We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy - sun, wind and tide. I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.

1931 — Interview with Henry Ford in the New York Times
Humorous Unverifiable

The mind can do anything it wants to do.

Early 20th Century — General motivational statement.
Humorous Unverifiable

I start where the last man left off.

Late 19th Century — Reflecting his approach to building on existing knowledge.
Humorous Unverifiable

I don't believe in anything that I cannot prove.

Early 20th Century — Reflecting his empirical scientific approach.
Humorous Unverifiable

I am a good listener, but I also have a great deal of patience.

Late 19th Century — Reported in descriptions of his working style.
Humorous Unverifiable

My success is due to the fact that I never went to school and was never forced to learn anything but what I wanted to know.

Early 20th Century — Often attributed, reflecting his self-taught nature.
Humorous Unverifiable