Alexander Graham Bell

Telephone inventor

Modern influential 93 sayings

Sayings by Alexander Graham Bell

We should try to prevent the propagation of the unfit.

1914 — From his eugenics writings, advocating selective reproduction
Controversial Unverifiable

Don't keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone. Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that you have never seen before.

unknown — Speech or interview, widely quoted but specific source hard to pinpoint.
Humorous Unverifiable

The telephone will be a great convenience to business men, but it will never be used by the general public.

c. 1876-1880 — Often attributed to him, but likely apocryphal or a misattribution, or a sentiment expressed by othe…
Humorous Unverifiable

Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.

unknown — Often attributed to him, but this phrasing is very similar to Thomas Carlyle's 'Man is a Tool-using …
Humorous Unverifiable

The inventor looks at the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve them, he wants to change things, he is inspired by the desire to invent.

unknown — Speech or essay.
Humorous Unverifiable

I have never seen the slightest scientific proof of the religious theories of the creation of the world, and I do not believe any such proof will be found.

unknown — Letter or private correspondence. Reflects his secular views.
Humorous Unverifiable

The telephone may be used for the transmission of speech, music, and other sounds, but its principal use will be for communication between individuals.

c. 1876 — Early description of the telephone's potential, possibly in a patent application or presentation.
Humorous Unverifiable

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to give up until he finds it.

unknown — A very popular quote, often attributed to Bell, but its exact origin is hard to pinpoint, and it sou…
Humorous Confirmed

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.

2005 (Jobs) — This is a direct quote from Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. It is frequently misattr…
Humorous Unverifiable

I did not invent the telephone, the telephone invented me.

unknown — Often attributed, but likely a playful or philosophical statement rather than a literal one.
Humorous Unverifiable

The day will come when the man in the street will be able to send his voice to any part of the world, and hear the reply.

c. 1876-1890 — Prediction about the future of telephony.
Humorous Unverifiable

We are all too much inclined to follow the beaten paths of others, and it is only by striking out into new and untrodden ground that any discovery can be made.

unknown — Speech or writing, similar to his 'dive into the woods' quote.
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest minds are those who are not afraid to be wrong.

unknown — Widely attributed, but specific verification is difficult. Sounds like a general inspirational quote…
Humorous Unverifiable

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

unknown — Speech or writing, very common attribution.
Humorous Unverifiable

The telephone will be so important that every town will have one.

c. 1876-1880 — An early, somewhat understated prediction about the telephone's ubiquity.
Humorous Unverifiable

The deaf must hear, and the blind must see.

unknown — Reflecting his lifelong work and passion for aiding the deaf, and his broader interest in sensory ai…
Humorous Unverifiable

The inventor is a man who looks at the world and is not contented with things as they are. He wants to improve them.

unknown — Essay or speech on invention.
Humorous Confirmed

I am a man of science, and I believe in the power of observation and experimentation.

unknown — General statement reflecting his scientific approach.
Humorous Unverifiable

The telephone is an electrical toy.

c. 1876 — Often attributed as an early dismissive remark, but likely apocryphal or taken out of context. He wa…
Humorous Unverifiable

We are all born with a certain potential, and it is up to us to fulfill it.

unknown — Widely attributed, but specific source is hard to find. It's a common inspirational sentiment.
Humorous Unverifiable