Opportunity Is Missed By Most People

This aphorism is widely attributed to Edison and appears consistently in collections of his sayings, though a definitive primary source has not been confirmed. The central metaphor — that opportunity looks unglamorous and demanding rather than attractive — is consistent with Edison's documented disdain for those who sought recognition without effort. He built his Menlo Park laboratory in 1876 as an explicit "invention factory," institutionalising the idea that great results come from disciplined, unglamorous work.