One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But... I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.

Maturity is often more absurd than youth and very frequently is most unjust to youth.

Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.

To have a great idea, have a lot of them.

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

There's a way to do it better - find it.

We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything.

It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.

I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.

Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!

I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.

Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless.

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

What you are will show in what you do.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.

I am proud of the fact that I never invented weapons to kill.

Great ideas originate in the muscles.

I find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.

There is far more opportunity than there is ability.

Discontent is the first necessity of progress.

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.

To my mind the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity.

Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.

There will one day spring from the brain of science a machine or force so fearful in its potentialities, so absolutely terrifying, that even man, the fighter, who will dare torture and death in order to inflict torture and death, will be appalled, and so abandon war forever.

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work.

Religion is all bunk.

Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure.

There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.

Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.

The value of an idea lies in the using of it.

The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil.

His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define; Of inspiration one percent, of perspiration, ninety nine.

Waste is worse than loss. The time is coming when every person who lays claim to ability will keep the question of waste before him constantly. The scope of thrift is limitless.

The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.

Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

I start where the last man left off.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward.

Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged.

What a man's mind can create, man's character can control.

When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes.