Thomas Alva Edison Quotes on Work & Career (5 Quotes)

I am wondering what would have happened to me if some fluent talker had converted me to the theory of the eight-hour day and convinced me that it was not fair to my fellow workers to put forth my best efforts in my work. I am glad that the eight-hour day had not been invented when I was a young man. If my life had been made up of eight-hour days, I do not believe I could have accomplished a great deal. This country would not amount to as much as it does if the young men of fifty years ago had been afraid that they might earn more than they were paid for.

A reporter called on Edison to interview him about a substitute for lead in the manufacture of storage batteries that the scientist was seeking. Edison informed the man that he had made 20,000 experiments but none had worked. 'Arent you discouraged by all this waste of effort' the reporter asked. Edison 'Waste Theres nothing wasted. I have discovered 20,000 things that wont work.

I have not failed. I have merely found 10,000 ways that won't work.

Because thinking is often hard work, there seems to be no limit to which some people will go to avoid the labor that is associated with it. If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

I never did anything worth doing entirely by accident and none of my inventions came about totally by accident. They came about by hard work.