Quick answer“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” is a famous quote by Thomas Edison. It comes from Edison: His Life and Inventions (Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, 1910). It is widely quoted on success and motivation. Thomas Edison's best-known remark about genius gives it a ratio: one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Thomas Edison's best-known remark about genius gives it a ratio: one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. The wording reached print credited to him by 1901, and Edison himself later confirmed that he had said it.
Origin: The 1-to-99 wording appeared in print credited to Edison as early as 6 May 1901 (Idaho Daily Statesman), and Dyer and Martin's 1910 biography called it his 'historic remark': 'Genius is 1 per cent. inspiration and 99 per cent. perspiration.' Edison himself confirmed it in a 1927 letter and again in Harper's Magazine in September 1932: 'You may have heard people repeat what I have said, Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.' Earlier versions gave a 2-to-98 ratio, and the inspiration/perspiration pairing was already a common saying before Edison used it.
Key facts
| Quote | “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas Edison |
| Source | Edison: His Life and Inventions (Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, 1910) |
| Themes | success, motivation |
| Language | English |
Overview
Edison was asked more than once to define genius, and he answered with numbers. In April 1898 the Ladies' Home Journal reported him saying 'Two per cent. is genius and ninety-eight per cent. is hard work.' The one-to-ninety-nine version followed: an Idaho newspaper printed it in May 1901, and Dyer and Martin's 1910 biography called it his 'historic remark'. The idea itself was older than Edison — the pairing of inspiration and perspiration was already a common saying in the 1890s — but Edison gave it its memorable arithmetic. He confirmed the line himself: in a 1927 letter he wrote that it was 'quite true' he had once made the statement, and in Harper's Magazine in 1932 he quoted it back to his readers. The point was not that inspiration counts for nothing, but that ideas are cheap beside the long labour of making them work.
Frequently asked questions
When did Edison say this?
No exact day is known. The one-to-ninety-nine wording first appeared in print credited to Edison in May 1901, in the Idaho Daily Statesman. Edison had already given a two-to-ninety-eight version in 1898, and his 1910 biography treated the one-to-ninety-nine form as his historic remark.
Did Edison really say it?
Yes, as far as the record goes. The line was printed under his name from 1901, his 1910 biography ascribed it to him, and Edison himself confirmed it twice: in a 1927 letter, where he said it was 'quite true' he had once made the statement, and in Harper's Magazine in September 1932.
What did Edison mean?
He meant that a bright idea is only a small part of inventing. Edison's workshops tested thousands of materials and designs, and he believed success came from persistent, careful work rather than sudden inspiration. The numbers are a joke with a point: the labour dwarfs the flash of insight.
Are there other versions?
Yes. In 1898 Edison was reported saying 'Two per cent. is genius and ninety-eight per cent. is hard work', and he also said 'Genius is not inspired. Inspiration is perspiration.' The one-to-ninety-nine version is the one that stuck, and the one Edison himself later repeated.
Related quotes
- “I will seize fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome me.” — Ludwig van Beethoven
- “Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” — Nikola Tesla
- “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” — Albert Einstein
- “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” — Charles Darwin
- “I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.” — Marie Curie
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- All quotes — the full list
- More quotes on success
- More quotes on motivation
- Thomas Edison — the author's life and facts
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.