Top 100+ Nikola Tesla Quotes

1

Nikola Tesla

“The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.” ― Nikola Tesla

2

Nikola Tesla

“If your hate could be turned into electricity, it would light up the whole world.” ― Nikola Tesla

3

“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.” ― Nikola Tesla

4

Nikola Tesla

“I do not think you can name many great inventions that have been made by married men.” ― Nikola Tesla

5

Nikola Tesla

“What we now want is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth, and the elimination of egoism and pride which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and strife… Peace can only come as a natural consequence of universal enlightenment…” ― Nikola Tesla

6

Nikola Tesla

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success . . . Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” ― Nikola Tesla

7

Nikola Tesla

“One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” ― Nikola Tesla

8

Nikola Tesla

“Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more”― Nikola Tesla

9

Nikola Tesla

“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 have really worked, is mine” ― Nikola Tesla

10

Nikola Tesla

“All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed — only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle.” ― Nikola Tesla

11

Nikola Tesla

“Fights between individuals, as well as governments and nations, invariably result from misunderstandings in the broadest interpretation of this term. Misunderstandings are always caused by the inability of appreciating one another’s point of view. This again is due to the ignorance of those concerned, not so much in their own, as in their mutual fields. The peril of a clash is aggravated by a more or less predominant sense of combativeness, posed by every human being. To resist this inherent fighting tendency the best way is to dispel ignorance of the doings of others by a systematic spread of general knowledge. With this object in view, it is most important to aid exchange of thought and intercourse.” ― Nikola Tesla

12

Nikola Tesla

“Life is and will ever remain an equation incapable of solution, but it contains certain known factors.” ― Nikola Tesla

13

Nikola Tesla

“Invention is the most important product of man’s creative brain. The ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of human nature to human needs.” ― Nikola Tesla

14

Nikola Tesla

“Today’s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality. ” ― Nikola Tesla

15

Nikola Tesla

“What one man calls God, another calls the laws of physics.” ― Nikola Tesla

16

Nikola Tesla

“If you only knew the magnificence of the 3, 6 and 9, then you would have the key to the universe.” ― Nikola Tesla

17

Nikola Tesla

“Nature may reach the same result in many ways. Like a wave in the physical world, in the infinite ocean of the medium which pervades all, so in the world of organisms, in life, an impulse started proceeds onward, at times, may be, with the speed of light, at times, again, so slowly that for ages and ages it seems to stay, passing through processes of a complexity inconceivable to men, but in all its forms, in all its stages, its energy ever and ever integrally present. A single ray of light from a distant star falling upon the eye of a tyrant in bygone times may have altered the course of his life, may have changed the destiny of nations, may have transformed the surface of the globe, so intricate, so inconceivably complex are the processes in Nature. In no way can we get such an overwhelming idea of the grandeur of Nature than when we consider, that in accordance with the law of the conservation of energy, throughout the Infinite, the forces are in a perfect balance, and hence the energy of a single thought may determine the motion of a universe.”― Nikola Tesla

18

Nikolai Tesla

“From childhood I was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much suffering, but to my present view, it was a blessing in disguise for it has taught me to appreciate the inestimable value of introspection in the preservation of life, as well as a means of achievement. The pressure of occupation and the incessant stream of impressions pouring into our consciousness through all the gateways of knowledge make modern existence hazardous in many ways. Most persons are so absorbed in the contemplation of the outside world that they are wholly oblivious to what is passing on within themselves. The premature death of millions is primarily traceable to this cause. Even among those who exercise care, it is a common mistake to avoid imaginary, and ignore the real dangers. And what is true of an individual also applies, more or less, to a people as a whole.” ― Nikolai Tesla

19

Nikola Tesla

“I am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps I am, if thought is the equivalent of labour, for I have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours. But if work is interpreted to be a definite performance in a specified time according to a rigid rule, then I may be the worst of idlers.” ― Nikola Tesla

20

Nikola Tesla

“The individual is ephemeral, races and nations come and pass away, but man remains.” ― Nikola Tesla

21

Nikola Tesla

“What we now want most is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth and the elimination of that fanatic devotion to exalted ideals of national egoism and pride, which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and strife.” ― Nikola Tesla

22

Nikola Tesla

“As I review the events of my past life I realize how subtle are the influences that shape our destinies.” ― Nikola Tesla

23

Nikola Tesla

“I hold that space cannot be curved, for the simple reason that it can have no properties. It might as well be said that God has properties. He has not, but only attributes and these are of our own making. Of properties we can only speak when dealing with matter filling the space. To say that in the presence of large bodies space becomes curved is equivalent to stating that something can act upon nothing. I, for one, refuse to subscribe to such a view.” ― Nikola Tesla

24

Nikola Tesla

“Our first endeavors are purely instinctive prompting of an imagination vivid and undisciplined. As we grow older reason asserts itself and we become more and more systematic and designing. But those early impulses, though not immediately productive, are of the greatest moment and may shape our very destinies. Indeed, I feel now that had I understood and cultivated instead of suppressing them, I would have added substantial value to my bequest to the world. But not until I had attained manhood did I realize that I was an inventor.” ― Nikola Tesla

25

Nikola Tesla

“There is something within me that might be illusion as it is often case with young delighted people, but if I would be fortunate to achieve some of my ideals, it would be on the behalf of the whole of humanity.” ― Nikola Tesla

26

Nikola Tesla

“It is not in the shallow physical imitation of men that women will assert first their equality and later their superiority, but in the awakening of the intellect of women.” ― Nikola Tesla

27

Nikola Tesla

“Edison was by far the most successful and, probably, the last exponent of the purely empirical method of investigation. Everything he achieved was the result of persistent trials and experiments often performed at random but always attesting extraordinary vigor and resource. Starting from a few known elements, he would make their combinations and permutations, tabulate them and run through the whole list, completing test after test with incredible rapidity until he obtained a clue. His mind was dominated by one idea, to leave no stone unturned, to exhaust every possibility.” ― Nikola Tesla

28

Nikola Tesla

“Of all things I liked books best.” ― Nikola Tesla

29

Nikola Tesla

“The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention.” ― Nikola Tesla

30

Nikola Tesla

“From childhood I was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much suffering, but to my present view, it was a blessing in disguise for it has taught me to appreciate the inestimable value of introspection in the preservation of life, as well as a means of achievement.” ― Nikola Tesla

31

Nikola Tesla

“One day I was handed a few volumes of new literature unlike anything I had ever read before and so captivating as to make me utterly forget my hopeless state. They were the earlier works of Mark Twain and to them might have been due the miraculous recovery which followed. Twenty-five years later, when I met Mr. Clemens and we formed a friendship between us, I told him of the experience and was amazed to see that great man of laughter burst into tears.” ― Nikola Tesla

32

Nikola Tesla

“The scientists from Franklin to Morse were clear thinkers and did not produce erroneous theories. The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” ― Nikola Tesla

33

Nikola Tesla

“When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his goal in seven-league boots.” ― Nikola Tesla

34

Nikola Tesla

“One has to be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane” ― Nikola Tesla

35

Nikola Tesla

“Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more.” ― Nikola Tesla

36

Nikola Tesla

“The idea of atomic energy is illusionary but it has taken so powerful a hold on the minds, that although I have preached against it for twenty-five years, there are still some who believe it to be realizable.” ― Nikola Tesla

37

Nikola Tesla

“A new world must be born, a world that would justify the sacrifices offered by humanity. This new world must be a world in which there shall be no exploitation of the weak by the strong, of the good by the evil; where there will be no humiliation of the poor by the violence of the rich; where the products of intellect, science and art will serve society for the betterment and beautification of life, and not the individuals for achieving wealth.
This new world shall not be a world of the downtrodden and humiliated, but of free men and free nations, equal in dignity and respect.” ― Nikola Tesla

38

Nikola Tesla

“All perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles all things and phenomena.” ― Nikola Tesla

39

Nikola Tesla

“Let one concentrate all his energies in one single great effort, let him perceive a single truth, even though he be consumed by the sacred fire, then millions of less gifted men can easily follow. Therefore it is not as much quantity as quality of work which determines the magnitude of the progress.” ― Nikola Tesla

40

Nikola Tesla

“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.” ― Nikola Tesla

41

Nikola Tesla

“instinct is something which transcends knowledge. We have, undoubtedly, certain finer fibers that enable us to perceive truths when logical deduction, or any other willful effort of the brain, is futile.” ― Nikola Tesla

42

Nikola Tesla

“Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone–that is the secret of invention.”― Nikola Tesla

43

Nikola Tesla

“One may feel a sudden wave of sadness and rake his brain for an explanation when he might have noticed that it was caused by a cloud cutting off the rays of the sun.” ― Nikola Tesla

44

Nikola Tesla

“Genius is its own passport, and has always been ready to change habitats until the natural one is found.” ― Nikola Tesla

45

Nikola Tesla

“A new idea must not be judged by its immediate results.” ― Nikola Tesla

46

Nikola Tesla

“Each day we go to our work in the hope of discovering,—in the hope that some one, no matter who, may find a solution of one of the pending great problems,—and each succeeding day we return to our task with renewed ardor; and even if we are unsuccessful, our work has not been in vain, for in these strivings, in these efforts, we have found hours of untold pleasure, and we have directed our energies to the benefit of mankind.” ― Nikola Tesla

47

Nikola Tesla

“The recurrence of a phenomenon like [Thomas] Edison is not very likely. The profound change of conditions and the ever increasing necessity of theoretical training would seem to make it impossible. He will occupy a unique and exalted position in the history of his native land, which might well be proud of his great genius and undying achievements in the interest of humanity.” ― Nikola Tesla

48

Nikola Tesla

“a telephone subscriber here may call up and talk to any other subscriber on the Globe. An inexpensive receiver, not bigger than a watch, will enable him to listen anywhere, on land or sea, to a speech delivered or music played in some other place, however distant.” ― Nikola Tesla

49

Nikola Tesla

“When a child is born its sense-organs are brought in contact with the outer world. The waves of sound, heat and light beat upon its feeble body, its sensitive nerve-fibres quiver, the muscles contract and relax in obedience: a gasp, a breath, and in this act a marvelous little engine, of inconceivable delicacy and complexity of construction, unlike any on earth, is hitched to the wheel-work of the Universe.” ― Nikola Tesla

50

Nikola Tesla

“We are automata entirely controlled by the forces of the medium being tossed about like corks on the surface of the water, but mistaking the resultant of the impulses from the outside for free will. The movements and other actions we perform are always life preservative and tho seemingly quite independent from one another, we are connected by invisible links” ― Nikola Tesla

51

Nikola Tesla

“The carrying out into practise of a crude idea as is being generally done is, I hold, nothing but a waste of energy, money and time. My” ― Nikola Tesla

52

Nikola Tesla

“Nature may reach the same result in many ways. Like a wave in the physical world, in the infinite ocean of the medium which pervades all, so in the world of organisms, in life, an impulse started proceeds onward, at times, may be, with the speed of light, at times, again, so slowly that for ages and ages it seems to stay, passing through processes of a complexity inconceivable to men, but in all its forms, in all its stages, its energy ever and ever integrally present. A single ray of light from a distant star falling upon the eye of a tyrant in bygone times may have altered the course of his life, may have changed the destiny of nations, may have transformed the surface of the globe, so intricate, so inconceivably complex are the processes in Nature. In no way can we get such an overwhelming idea of the grandeur of Nature than when we consider, that in accordance with the law of the conservation of energy, throughout the Infinite, the forces are in a perfect balance, and hence the energy of a single thought may determine the motion of a universe.” Nikola Tesla” ― Nikola Tesla

53

Nikola Tesla

“Jules Breton has spoken of the history of his life as being at the same time the genesis of his art. This is true of Nikola Tesla’s evolution. His bent toward invention we may surely trace to his mother, who, as the wife of an eloquent clergyman in the Greek Church, made” ― Nikola Tesla

54

Nikola Tesla

“We are just waves in time and space, changing continuously, and the illusion of individuality is produced through the concatenation of the rapidly succeeding phases of existence. What we define as likeness is merely the result of the symmetrical arrangement of molecules which compose our body.” ― Nikola Tesla

55

Nikola Tesla

“Merciless is the law of nature, and rapidly and irresistibly we are drawn to our doom.” ― Nikola Tesla

56

Nikola Tesla

“…and led me to finally recognise that I was but an automaton devoid of free will in thought and action and merely responsible to the forces of the environment.” ― Nikola Tesla

57

Nikola Tesla

“When I was a boy of seven or eight I read a novel untitled “Abafi” — The Son of Aba — a Servian translation from the Hungarian of Josika, a writer of renown. The lessons it teaches are much like those of “Ben Hur,” and in this respect it might be viewed as anticipatory of the work of Wallace. The possibilities of will-power and self-control appealed tremendously to my vivid imagination, and I began to discipline myself. Had I a sweet cake or a juicy apple which I was dying to eat I would give it to another boy and go through the tortures of Tantalus, pained but satisfied. Had I some difficult task before me which was exhausting I would attack it again and again until it was done. So I practiced day by day from morning till night. At first it called for a vigorous mental effort directed against disposition and desire, but as years went by the conflict lessened and finally my will and wish became identical.” ― Nikola Tesla

58

Nikola Tesla

“My belief is firm in a law of compensation. The true rewards are ever in proportion to the labor and sacrifices made.” ― Nikola Tesla

59

Nikola Tesla

“Science is but a perversion of itself unless it has as its ultimate goal the betterment of humanity.” ― Nikola Tesla

60

Nikola Tesla

“We wind a simple ring of iron with coils; we establish the connections to the generator, and with wonder and delight we note the effects of strange forces which we bring into play, which allow us to transform, to transmit and direct energy at will. We arrange the circuits properly, and we see the mass of iron and wires behave as though it were endowed with life,” ― Nikola Tesla

61

Nikola Tesla

“These are only new devices for putting the weak at the mercy of the strong.” ― Nikola Tesla

62

Nikola Tesla

“There is scarcely a subject that cannot be mathematically treated and the effects calculated or the results determined beforehand from the available theoretical and practical data.” ― Nikola Tesla

63

Nikola Tesla

“Misunderstandings are always caused by the inability of appreciating one another’s point of view. This again is due to the ignorance of those concerned, not so much in their own, as in their mutual fields.” ― Nikola Tesla

64

Nikola Tesla

“Of all the endless variety of phenomena which nature presents to our senses, there
is none that fills our mind with greater wonder than that inconceivably complex
movement which … we designate as human life. Its mysterious origin is veiled in
the forever impenetrable mist of the past, its character is rendered
incomprehensible by its in” ― Nikola Tesla

65

Nikola Tesla

“I [had] admired the works of artists, but to my
mind, they were only shadows and semblances. The inventor, I thought, gives to the
world creations which are palpable, which live and work.” ― Nikola Tesla

66

Nikola Tesla

“We are all one. Only egos, beliefs, and fears separate us.” ― Nikola Tesla

67

Nikola Tesla

“I counted the steps in my walks and calculated the cubical contents of soup plates, coffee cups and pieces of food otherwise my meal was unenjoyable.” ― Nikola Tesla

68

Nikola Tesla

“Even matter called inorganic, believed to be dead, responds to irritants and gives unmistakable evidence of a living principle within. Everything that exists, organic or inorganic, animated or inert, is susceptible to stimulus from the outside.” ― Nikola Tesla

69

Nikola Tesla

“I am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps I am, if thought is the equivalent of labor, for I have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours.” ― Nikola Tesla

70

Nikola Tesla

“Peace can only come as a natural consequence of universal enlightenment and merging of races, and we are still far from this blissful realization. As” ― Nikola Tesla

71

Nikola Tesla

“The hard work of the future will be pushing buttons” ― Nikola Tesla

72

Nikola Tesla

“I am unwilling to accord to some small−minded and jealous individuals the satisfaction of having thwarted my efforts. These men are to me nothing more than microbes of a nasty disease.” ― Nikola Tesla

73

Nikola Tesla

“I don’t care that they stole my idea. I care that they don’t have any of their own.” ― Nikola Tesla

74

Nikola Tesla

“Einstein’s relativity work is a magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and makes people blind to the underlying errors. The theory is like a beggar clothed in purple whom ignorant people take for a king… its exponents are brilliant men but they are metaphysicists rather than scientists.” ― Nikola Tesla

75

Nikola Tesla

“One’s salvation could only be brought about through his own efforts.” ― Nikola Tesla

76

Nikola Tesla

“War can not be avoided until the physical cause for its recurrence is removed and this, in the last analysis, is the vast extent of the planet on which we live. Only thru annihilation of distance in every respect, as the conveyance of intelligence, transport of passengers and supplies and transmission of energy will conditions be brought about some day, insuring permanency of friendly relations.” ― Nikola Tesla

77

Nikola Tesla

“The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is the most important product of his creative brain. Its ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of the forces of nature to human needs.” ― Nikola Tesla

78

Nikola Tesla

“Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe.” ― Nikola Tesla

79

Nikola Tesla

“My mother was an inventor of first order and would, I believe, have achieved great things had she not been so remote from modern life and its multifold opportunities.” ― Nikola Tesla

80

Nikola Tesla

“I was merely an automaton endowed with power of movement, responding to the stimuli of the sense organs and thinking and acting accordingly.” ― Nikola Tesla

81

Nikola Tesla

“All repeated acts or operations I performed had to be divisible by three and if I missed I felt impelled to do it all over again, even if it took hours.” ― Nikola Tesla

82

Nikola Tesla

“From childhood I was compelled to concentrate attention upon myself. This caused me much suffering but, to my present view, it was a blessing in disguise for it has taught me to appreciate the inestimable value of introspection in the preservation of life, as well as a means of achievement. The pressure of occupation and the incessant stream of impressions pouring into our consciousness thru all the gateways of knowledge make modern existence hazardous in many ways” ― Nikola Tesla

83

Nikola Tesla

“Soon became convinced I was right and undertook the task with all the fire and boundless confidence of youth.” ― Nikola Tesla

84

Nikola Tesla

“All these observations fascinate us, and fill us with an intense desire to know more about the nature of these phenomena.” ― Nikola Tesla

85

Nikola Tesla

“Here was a stupendous possibility of achievement. If we could produce electric effects of the required quality, this whole planet and the conditions of existence on it could be transformed. The sun raises the water of the oceans and winds drive it to distant regions where it remains in a state of most delicate balance. If it were in our power to upset it when and wherever desired, this mighty life-sustaining stream could be at will controlled. We could irrigate arid deserts, create lakes and rivers and provide motive power in unlimited amounts. This would be the most efficient way of harnessing the sun to the uses of man. The consummation depended on our ability to develop electric forces of the order of those in nature.” ― Nikola Tesla

86

Nikola Tesla

“Now the soft-voiced gentle woman of my reverent worship has all but vanished.” ― Nikola Tesla

87

Nikola Tesla

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success….Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything…an inventor has so intense a nature with so much of it wild, passionate quality, that in giving himself to a woman he might love, he would give everything, and so take everything from his chosen field.” ― Nikola Tesla

88

Nikola Tesla

“War can not be avoided until the physical cause for its recurrence is removed and this, in the last analysis, is the vast extent of the planet on which we live. Only thru annihilation of distance in every respect, as the conveyance of intelligence, transport of passengers and supplies and transmission of energy will conditions be brought about some day, insuring permanency of friendly relations. What we now want most is closer contact and better understanding between individuals and communities all over the earth, and the elimination of that fanatic devotion to exalted ideals of national egoism and pride which is always prone to plunge the world into primeval barbarism and strife. No league or parliamentary act of any kind will ever prevent such a calamity. These are only new devices for putting the weak at the mercy of the strong.” ― Nikola Tesla

89

Nikola Tesla

“Most persons are so absorbed in the contemplation of the outside world that they are wholly oblivious to what is passing on within themselves. The” ― Nikola Tesla

90

Nikola Tesla

“Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them.” ― Nikola Tesla

91

Nikola Tesla

“Then I instinctively commenced to make excursions beyond the limits of the small world of which I had knowledge, and I saw new scenes. These were at first very blurred and indistinct, and would flit away when I tried to concentrate my attention upon them, but by and by I succeeded in fixing them; they gained in strength and distinctness and finally assumed the concreteness of real things. I soon discovered that my best comfort was attained if I simply went on in my vision farther and farther, getting new impressions all the time, and so I began to travel—of course, in my mind. Every night (and sometimes during the day), when alone, I would start on my journeys—see new places, cities and countries—live there, meet people and make friendships and acquaintances and, however unbelievable, it is a fact that they were just as dear to me as those in actual life and not a bit less intense in their manifestations.” ― Nikola Tesla

92

Nikola Tesla

“An inexpensive instrument, not bigger than a watch, will enable its bearer to hear anywhere, on sea or land, music or song, the speech of a political leader, the address of an eminent man of science, or the sermon of an eloquent clergyman, delivered in some other place, however distant.” ― Nikola Tesla

93

Nikola Tesla

“War can not be avoided until the physical cause for its recurrence is removed and this, in the last analysis, is the vast extent of the planet on which we live.” ― Nikola Tesla

94

Nikola Tesla

“All those years spent in science were in vain. Please mother, pray for me over there if you can, sing the Moorish lament for the lost soul of your poor ignorant son…” ― Nikola Tesla

95

Nikola Tesla

“Miss! Never trust a Jew!” ― Nikola Tesla

96

Nikola Tesla

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success… such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything. Nikola Tesla” ― Tesla Nikola Tesla

97

Nikola Tesla

“The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is the most important product of his creative brain. Its ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of the mind over the material world, the harnessing of the forces of nature to human needs.” ― Nikola Tesla

98

Top 100+ Nikola Tesla Quotes

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