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 in my mind. It is absolutely immaterial to me whether I run my turbine in my thought or test it in my shop. I even note if it is out of balance.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the power of imaginative thinking and mental visualization in the creative process.
Nikola Tesla highlights the significance of envisioning and refining ideas in one’s mind before actual implementation. This mental exercise allows for innovation and improvement, demonstrating that the imagination can be just as effective as physical testing in developing concepts. Tesla's approach suggests that creativity and invention stem from a deep engagement with one's thoughts, leading to practical applications in reality.
In practice
In a motivational speech about the importance of creativity and innovation.
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.
Our senses enable us to perceive only a minute portion of the outside world.
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.
The history of science shows that theories are perishable. With every new truth that is revealed we get a better understanding of Nature and our conceptions and views are modified.
The Secretary of Hygiene or Physical Culture will be far more important in the cabinet of the President of the United States who holds office in the year 2035 than the Secretary of War.
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. 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.
Be patient. You'll know when it's time for you to wake up and move ahead.
Maybe that's why God made us kids first and built us close to the ground, because He knows you got to fall down a lot and bleed a lot before you learn that one simple lesson. You pay for what you get, you own what you pay for... and sooner or later whatever you own comes back home to you.
The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
Order - Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean... and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.
If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
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