“We Now Know 1,000 Ways Not To Invent A Light Bulb” ~ Thomas Edison
One of my long-time clients and friends arranged a presentation of a new venture for five people last night, and tenacity was on my mind. It’s not every day that one is sufficiently fortunate and honored to have dinner with a world-class scientist and inventor. This man has invented a technology that was heretofore considered completely unattainable.
Think about the persistence and drive that is required to solve problems that had been considered unsolvable. Inventing the impossible: how does that come about? Most obviously, one suspends disbelief about the impossibility – and simultaneously cultivates elements which could be part of a solution.
Thomas Edison famously said, “We now know 1000 ways not to invent a light bulb” – a statement of extreme tenacity.
Are you inclined to be tenacious in the face of conventional wisdom and / or being told that you can’t do something? What are the emotional drivers of your tenacity? Conversely, who are the role models who have taught you to go along with the status quo?