He was tenacious, ingenious, imaginative, joyful, determined, gifted, a giant among giants. Thomas Edison taught us that we too often give up and lose out on the growth and learning that comes from the struggle. His excitement about the process, his joy in finding new ways to approach a problem, and the simple eloquence in his approach to life has always inspired me. He has convinced me that we give up on problems far too easily, and while wisdom in knowing when to cut your losses seems prudent, as humans we probably err the other way far more often.
Imagination supplies the ideas.
Technical knowledge carries them out. Thomas Edison was of that ilk which believes that we must all work towards a better world, and find ways to make our unique contributions for the betterment of mankind. If our work has widened the horizon of man's understanding and given even a little measure of happiness in this world, I am content. His dedicated, visionary work at Menlo Park, New Jersey did just that. He modeled integrity for them by appearing at work the next day after a heartbreaking failure ready to work on a similar trial with new hope, joy and enthusiasm.