Woman’s virtue is man’s greatest invention.

Truth is always consistent with itself, and needs nothing to help it out. It is always near at hand, and sits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware; whereas a lie is troublesome, and sets a man's invention upon the rack; and one trick needs a great many more to make it good.

Modern invention has banished the spinning-wheel, and the same law of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her grandmother.

There is no less invention in aptly applying a thought found in a book, than in being the first author of the thought.

One minute gives invention to destroy; what to rebuild a whole age employ.

One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But, speaking for myself, I can honestly say that this is not so. I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.


Necessity is the mother of invention.

Significant inventions are not mere accidents... Happenstance usually plays a part, to be sure, but there is much more to invention than the popular notion of a bolt out of the blue. Knowledge in depth and in breadth are virtual prerequisites. Unless the mind is thoroughly changed beforehand, the proverbial spark of genius, if it should manifest itself, probably will find nothing to ignite.

The construction of hypotheses is a creative act of inspiration, intuition, invention; its essence is the vision of something new in familiar material.


The children who go to bed hungry in a Harlem slum or a West Virginia mining town are not being deprived because no food can be found to give them; they are going to bed hungry because, despite all our miracles of invention and production, we have not yet found a way to make necessities of life available to all of our citizens - including those whose failure is not lack of personal industry or initiative, but only an unwise choice of parents.

Whatever therefore is consequent to a tie of war, where every man is enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such a condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Even if governmental conduct of business could give us more efficiency instead of less efficiency, the fundamental objection to it would remain unaltered and unabated. It would destroy political equality. It would increase rather than decrease abuse and corruption. It would stifle initiative and invention. It would undermine the development of leadership. It would cramp and cripple the mental and spiritual energies of our people. It would extinguish equality and opportunity. It would dry up the spirit of liberty and progress.



Next to invention is the owner of interpreting invention; next to beauty, the power of appreciating beauty.


Destiny is an invention of the cowardly and the resigned.