If there was one man who could be called the Einstein of his time, it would have to be Nikola Tesla. His inventions and ideas were way ahead of his time, and many of them are still being used today. Here are some of the most brilliant quotes by Nikola Tesla that will make you see the world in a whole new light.
About Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla is one of the most renowned scientists of his time. He is best known for his contributions to the electric motor, electricity supply system, radio, x-rays, and remote control. Nikola was born in Smiljan, Croatia, on 10 July 1856. His father was a Serbian Orthodox priest, and his mother was an inventor in her own right.
As a child, Nikola was fascinated by electricity and often experimented with it. This led to him developing a theory that there was an invisible energy field that could be harnessed. After finishing school, Nikola enrolled at Charles Ferdinand University in Prague but quickly dropped out due to disagreements with his professors.
He then moved to America; he found work with Thomas Edison, who he would later have a famous falling out with over control of DC power. Nikola set up his own laboratory and continued to experiment with electricity.
In 1891 he filed for one of his most important patents – the Tesla coil – which is still used in radio technology today. Nikola died on 7 January 1943, but his legacy as one of the most inventive scientists of all time lives on.
Here are the best Nikola Tesla Quotes
Nikola Tesla authored a variety of books and articles. A few examples of his written work are My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla, compiled and edited by Ben Johnston in 1983; The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla (1993), also compiled and edited by David Hatcher Childress; as well as The Tesla Papers.
Let’s take a look at some of the most famous and inspirational quotes by Nikola Tesla:
1. “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”― Nikola Tesla
In this quote, Tesla is suggesting that everything in the universe is made up of energy, which vibrates at different frequencies. By understanding this concept, we can learn the secrets of the universe.
This theory has been proven by quantum physics, which has shown that everything in the universe is made up of tiny particles that are constantly vibrating. By understanding the frequency of these vibrations, we can learn about the inner workings of the universe.
2. “I don’t care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don’t have any of their own”― Nikola Tesla
3. “Of all things, I liked books best.”― Nikola Tesla
4. “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”― Nikola Tesla
5. “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
6. “Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.”― Nikola Tesla
7. “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
8. “The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.”― Nikola Tesla
9. “If your hate could be turned into electricity, it would light up the whole world.”― Nikola Tesla
10. “I do not think you can name many great inventions that have been made by married men.”― Nikola Tesla
11. “Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more”― Nikola Tesla
In this quote, Tesla is emphasizing the importance of human virtue and how it is intertwined with our failings. He argues that when we try to separate the two, we are no longer truly human. This may seem like a controversial statement, but Tesla was known for his unconventional ideas. In many ways, he was ahead of his time, and his thinking still challenges us today.
12. “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
13. “Life is and will ever remain an equation incapable of solution, but it contains certain known factors.”― Nikola Tesla
14. “We crave for new sensations but soon become indifferent to them. The wonders of yesterday are today common occurrences”― Nikola Tesla
15. “What one man calls God, another calls the laws of physics.”― Nikola Tesla
16. “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
17. “If you only knew the magnificence of the 3, 6, and 9, then you would have the key to the universe.”― Nikola Tesla
18. “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
19. “You may live to see man-made horrors beyond your comprehension.”― Nikola Tesla
20. “The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power. My Mother had taught me to seek all truth in the Bible.”― Nikola Tesla
21. “The individual is ephemeral, races and nations come and pass away, but man remains.”― Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla believed that the individual is temporary but that mankind as a whole will endure. He saw races and nations as transitory, while humanity as a whole is ageless. This perspective is borne out by history. Countless empires have risen and fallen, but humanity has persevered.
The value of the individual may come and go, but the human race endures. This quote speaks to the power of the collective over the individual. Tesla understood that, while individuals may come and go, humanity as a whole is eternal.
22. “But 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
23. “It’s not the love you make. It’s the love you give.”― Nikola Tesla
24. “Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe. Though seemingly affected only by its immediate surrounding, the sphere of external influence extends to infinite distance.”― Nikola Tesla
25. “My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea, I start at once, building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements, and operate the device entirely in my mind.”― Nikola Tesla
26. “Marconi is a good fellow. Let him continue. He is using seventeen of my patents.”― Nikola Tesla
27. “Most certainly, some planets are not inhabited, but others are, and among these, there must exist life under all conditions and phases of development.”― Nikola Tesla
28. “Inventors don’t have time for married life.”― Nikola Tesla
29. “So astounding are the facts in this connection, that it would seem as though the Creator, himself had electrically designed this planet…”― Nikola Tesla
30. “Peace can only come as a natural consequence of universal enlightenment and merging of races, and we are still far from this blissful realization.”― Nikola Tesla
31. “Great moments are born great opportunity”― Nikola Tesla
To Tesla, every moment was an opportunity to learn and grow. He believed that we should never miss a chance to improve ourselves and our world. This philosophy helped Tesla to achieve great things in his life, and it continues to inspire people around the world.
32. “As I review the events of my past life, I realize how subtle are the influences that shape our destinies.”― Nikola Tesla
33. “The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is the most important product of his creative brain.”― Nikola Tesla
34. “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
35. “We are all one. Only egos, beliefs, and fears separate us.”― Nikola Tesla
36. “When natural inclination develops into a passionate desire, one advances towards his goal in seven-league boots.”― Nikola Tesla
37. “A new idea must not be judged by its immediate results.”― Nikola Tesla
38. “One’s salvation could only be brought about through his own efforts.”― Nikola Tesla
39. “Genius is its own passport, and has always been ready to change habitats until the natural one is found.”― Nikola Tesla
40. “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
41. “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
Nikola Tesla’s quote suggests that our emotions are closely linked to the environment around us. It’s easy to forget how interconnected we are with the natural world. We often think of ourselves as separate from nature, but the truth is that we are deeply affected by the changes in our surroundings.
For example, when the sun goes behind a cloud, our moods can change instantly. We may feel a sudden wave of sadness or loneliness. However, if we take a moment to notice the cause of our emotions, we can begin to understand how interconnected we are with the natural world.
By recognizing the impact that our surroundings have on our emotions, we can become more attuned to the ever-changing cycles of nature. In doing so, we may find a deeper sense of peace and connection with the world around us.
42. “Science is but a perversion of itself unless it has as its ultimate goal the betterment of humanity.”― Nikola Tesla
43. “The tendency of women to push aside man, supplanting the old spirit of cooperation with him in all the affairs of life, is very disappointing to me.”― Nikola Tesla
44. “To know each other, we must reach beyond the sphere of our sense perceptions.”― Nikola Tesla
45. “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”― Nikola Tesla
46. “Instinct is something which transcends knowledge”― Nikola Tesla
47. “The hard work of the future will be pushing buttons”― Nikola Tesla
48. “My belief is firm in a law of compensation. The true rewards are ever in proportion to the labor and sacrifices made.”― Nikola Tesla
49. “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
50. “These are only new devices for putting the weak at the mercy of the strong.”― Nikola Tesla
51. “Peace can only come as a natural consequence of universal enlightenment and merging of races, and we are still far from this blissful realization.”― Nikola Tesla
In this quote, Nikola Tesla is speaking about the fact that peace can only come about when everyone is universally enlightened, and there is a merging of races. He goes on to say that we are still far from this ideal situation. Tesla is urging people to work towards this goal of peace so that one day it may be attained.
In order for there to be true peace in the world, everyone needs to be on the same level of understanding. If we can all learn to understand and respect each other’s cultures and beliefs, then perhaps one day, we will achieve the peace that Tesla speaks of. Until then, we must continue to strive for universal enlightenment and racial unity.
52. “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
53. “My project was retarded by laws of nature. The world was not prepared for it. It was too far ahead of time. But the same laws will prevail in the end and make it a triumphal success.”― Nikola Tesla
54. “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
55. “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
56. “The by far greater number of human beings are never aware of what is passing around and within them, and millions fall victims of disease and die prematurely just on this account.”― Nikola Tesla
57. “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
58. “…and led me to finally recognize 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
59. “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
60. “Merciless is the law of nature, and rapidly and irresistibly we are drawn to our doom.”― Nikola Tesla
61. “The carrying out into practice of a crude idea as is being generally done is, I hold, nothing but a waste of energy, money and time.”― Nikola Tesla
Throughout his life, Tesla had many groundbreaking ideas that were met with skepticism and dismissal. In some cases, he was even ridiculed for his beliefs. However, Tesla never gave up on his dreams, and eventually, his inventive genius was recognized.
Today, he is celebrated as one of the most important inventors in history. Tesla’s words are a cautionary tale for anyone who has an idea that they believe in but are afraid to pursue. It’s easy to get caught up in the practicalities of everyday life and forget about the importance of chasing your dreams. However, as Tesla demonstrates, the rewards can be immense.
62. “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
63. “Soon became convinced I was right and undertook the task with all the fire and boundless confidence of youth.”― Nikola Tesla
64. “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
65. “All of these years of my service towards mankind did not bring me nothing but assaults and humiliations.”― Nikola Tesla
66. “All these observations fascinate us, and fill us with an intense desire to know more about the nature of these phenomena.”― Nikola Tesla
67. “Miss! Never trust a Jew!”― Nikola Tesla
68. “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
69. “I’m glad,” Tesla quipped, “that I am living in a place in which, though they can roast me in the papers, they cannot burn me at the stake.”― Nikola Tesla
70. “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
In spite of his many achievements, Tesla was never able to find lasting success or financial stability. He died penniless and alone, his greatest inventions often overshadowed by the work of others. In his final years, Tesla became increasingly obsessed with mysticism and the occult.
He claimed to have received messages from extraterrestrial beings, and he spoke often of universal energy that could be harnessed for the good of humanity. The quote attributed to him reflects his frustration with the scientific establishment and his belief that his work had been misunderstood and underappreciated. It also expresses his hope that, even in death, he might find redemption and peace.
Let’s Wind Up…
Nikola Tesla was one of the most brilliant and renowned inventors in history. He is best known for his contributions to the design of the alternating current electrical system, but he also made significant advances in wireless communication and robotics.
What makes Tesla so fascinating is his unique approach to problem-solving and his passion for invention. In addition to his extraordinary technical abilities, Tesla was also a prolific writer and thinker, leaving behind a wealth of quotes that are still relevant today. We can learn a lot from Tesla about innovation, creativity, and perseverance.