A collection of Edison’s inspirational quotes and aphorisms

When you hope to succeed, perseverance should be your good friend. ?Edison

Edison generally refers to Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison (Thomas Alva Edison, February 11, 1847? October 18, 1931), born in Milan, Ohio, USA, died in West Orange, New Jersey, USA. Inventor, entrepreneur. [1]

Edison was the first person in human history to use mass production principles and electrical engineering research laboratories to engage in invention patents that had a major and far-reaching impact on the world. His inventions of the phonograph, movie camera, and electric light had a great impact on the world. He made more than 2,000 inventions in his lifetime and held more than 1,000 patents.

Edison’s famous aphorisms

1. Life is too short, and there are so many things to do. Can we not make progress at the same time? ---Edison (USA)

2. No matter when, no matter what, I will never allow myself to be a little discouraged. ---Edison (USA)

3. The most obvious sign of a great man is his strong will. ---Edison (USA)

4. A person must first go through difficulties and then step into good times before he feels useful and comfortable. ---Edison (USA)

5. Failure is also what I need. It is as valuable to me as success. Only after I know all the ways to do a job poorly can I know the way to do a job well. ---Edison (USA)

6. If you can name a person who is completely satisfied, I can tell you that he is a failure. ---Edison (USA)

7. Books are to wisdom what gymnastics is to the body. ---Edison (USA)

8. Anything new and unusual can arouse a kind of pleasure in the imagination, because this kind of thing makes the mind feel a pleasant surprise and satisfies its curiosity. The mind gives it a concept that it never had before. ---Edison (USA)

9. Imagination must be hot so that it can leave an impression on the image received by external things. ---Edison (USA)

10. Books are the legacy left by genius to mankind, passed down from generation to generation, and they are also gifts to those who have not yet been born. ---Edison (USA)

11. Reading is to the brain as exercise is to the body. ---Edison (USA)

12. I don’t think I am a genius, I just try my best to do it. ---Edison (USA)

13. There is nothing of real value in the world that can be obtained without hard work. ---Edison (USA)

14. Education is to people what sculpture is to marble. ---Edison (USA)

15. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. ---Edison (USA)

16. Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration. ---Edison (USA)

17. If you want to succeed, use perseverance as your good friend, experience as your adviser, and prudence as your brother. ---Edison (USA)

18. Restlessness and dissatisfaction are the first necessities for progress. ---Edison (USA)

19. Anyone who hopes to spend his old age with honor and comfort must think that one day he will grow old when he is young; in this way, when he is old, he will also remember There was a time when I was young. ---Edison (USA)

20. Although we always lament the shortness of life, we look forward to its end at every stage. As a child, you long for adulthood, as an adult you long for having a family, then you want to be rich, then you want to gain fame and status, and finally you want to live in seclusion.

---Edison (USA)

A bitter and happy childhood

Reluctant to move

In 1854, something happened that had a great impact on his development. After the incident, the opening of the railway along the south shore of Lake Erie greatly reduced the merchant shipping business of the Milan Canal. Edison's father's business could no longer be maintained. Because the family's life became increasingly difficult, in order to find another development, the Edison family moved here. They left Milan. After moving to Fort Gratiot in the northern suburbs of Port Huron, Michigan, to start a new life, Edison fell ill with scarlet fever shortly after moving to his new home. [4]

Kicked out of school

In 1855, he began to go to school. There was only one class in the school, and the principal and teacher were both Mr. Engel. Because Edison had an inquisitive nature, he often asked the teacher some unusual questions during class (such as: How is the wind produced? Why does one plus one equal two instead of four). In just three months, he was dismissed by the teacher as Kicked out of school in the name of "imbecile". [5]

Also a teacher and a mother

Because her mother Nancy was a teacher at a girls’ school and a person with rich educational experience. She did not think that her child was imbecile. Son?, so Nancy taught Edison herself. According to Nancy's careful observation on weekdays, Edison is not only not an "imbecile", but also often shows talent. Nancy often asked Edison to do his own experiments. Once when talking about Galileo's "Leaning Tower of Pisa Experiment", Nancy asked Edison to try it on the tower next to her home. Edison took two balls of different sizes and weights and put them together. Throwing the balls from a high tower at the same time, the two balls landed at the same time. Edison felt it was amazing and excitedly told his mother the results of the experiment. This experiment was also engraved in Edison's mind. [6]

Reading books

Due to his mother’s good education methods, Edison realized the importance of books. Not only was he well-read, he also had a photographic memory. Under the guidance of his mother, Edison read the works of the British Renaissance playwrights Shakespeare and Dickens and many important historical books, such as Edward Gibbon's "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and David Hume's "History of Britain". He also After reading some of Thomas Paine's works, Edison was attracted by the insights in the books, which continued to influence him throughout his life. [7]

Studying Chemistry

In 1857, Edison began to become interested in chemistry. He conducted experiments according to textbooks in the cellar of his home, and often caused frequent accidents.

In 1859, in order to have enough money to buy chemicals and experimental equipment, Edison began to look for a job to make money. After some hard work, he found a job selling newspapers on the train, traveling to Port Huron every day. Between Detroit and Detroit, he sold newspapers and carried fruit and vegetable business, but whenever he had time he would go to the library to read.

In 1861, Edison used the money he earned from selling newspapers to buy an old printing press and began to publish the weekly Herald, which he edited. The first issue was printed on the train. He was both the president and the publisher. Journalist, publisher, but also printer and newsboy. There was a rest room on the train where Edison worked because the air was not circulating, so no one went there to rest and it became an empty room. Because Edison was running around on the train every day and came home very late every day, he often felt that there was not enough time. Edison thought that if the rest room was converted into a laboratory, he could conduct experiments on his way back to Port Huron. With the consent of the train conductor, the empty lounge became Edison's laboratory. Although it was much more convenient to conduct experiments, accidents often happened. Once, the chemicals in his laboratory suddenly caught fire, causing damage. The conductor threw his experimental equipment out of the car in anger. ;