For most of my life I refused to work at any problem unless its solution seemed to be capable of being put to commercial use.

Thomas Edison

More information about this quote

Topic

Innovation Profit motive Capitalism

Speaker

Thomas Edison

Source

New York Sun

Medium

Interview Newspaper

Language

English

Time

1917 1910s 20th century

Occupation

Inventor Businessperson

From

United States

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Edison, Thomas Alva. Interview. New York Sun, Feb. 1917.

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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote from the 1910s

Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, while there is a lower class I am in it, while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.

Eugene Debs

More information about this quote
Topic
Underdogs Outsiders and outcasts

Author

Eugene Debs
Medium
Courtroom speech Speech
Language
English
Time
1918 1910s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Federal Court. US v. Eugene V. Debs. RG 21, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Criminal Case Files, 1912–1977, Criminal Case #4057. 9. NYT, 18 Sept. 1918.

Another quote about Innovation

The true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention.

Socrates

Quoted in Republic, by Plato

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Read the Republic at MIT's classics department website
More information about this quote
Topic
Creativity Innovation Invention
Speaker
Socrates

Author

Plato
Source
Republic
Medium
Philosophical dialogue Dialogue
Genre
Philosophical literature
Language
Greek
Time
375 BC 370s BC 4th century BC
Era
Classical antiquity
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Socrates. Quoted in Πολιτεία [Republic], written by Plato. c. 375 BCE.

Current Citation

Socrates. Quoted in Republic, written by Plato, translated by Desmond Lee. Penguin Classics, 2007.

Another quote from 1917

We believe that civilization has been created under the pressure of the exigencies of life at the cost of satisfaction of the instincts.

Sigmund Freud

Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis

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More information about this quote
Topic
Civilization

Author

Sigmund Freud
Source
Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis
Medium
Lecture
Genre
Psychological literature
Language
German
Time
1917 1910s 20th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Freud, Sigmund. Einführung in die Psychoanalyse [Introduction to Psychoanalysis]. 1915-1917, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, lecture 1. Lecture series.

Current Citation

Freud, Sigmund. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. W. W. Norton & Company, 1977, lecture 1.