Genius is ninety percent inspiration, ten percent perspiration

The phrase "genius is 99 percent perspiration, and one percent inspiration" is derived somewhat from academic  Kate Sanborn's observation that "talent is perspiration", in the early 1890's, but much more specifically, and popularized by inventor, businessman and billionaire, Thomas Ediston.   Bear in mind, that Thomas Edison was a man who certainly stole most of his ideas from individuals who certainly did not share this philosophy at all, like Nicola Tesla, Samuel Morse and the real inventor of motion pictures, Louis Le Prince, who Edison may have actually murdered, before he could patent his invention in the United States.  So, it might be more accurate to say, that Edison was not a genius, but, a very hard worker, who stole all his ideas from people who really were geniuses.    Actually, and this is really pretty obvious, genius is ninety percent inspiration, and ten percent perspiration. It's the people who make themselves perfect receivers of information who have the great ideas that constitute genius.   On the other hand,  it's the really hard workers, who are ruthless and willing to do anything to bring a project to fruition, who generally make these ideas well known, and apply them effectively, in practice.  It's not that these people aren't useful at times, but, they aren't the whole story.  The problem is, Edison's self-promoting disinformation would give people the impression that it is the whole story, and that, unfortunately, can seriously retard progress.  Because, you see, the term "professional scientist" is oxymoronic, as is the term "scientific method".   True genius is not a method, and, it is not a profession.   It cannot be either, because, we have no idea where it really comes from, and we never will. So, creating and funding massive institutions to create genius is, by definition self-defeating, and an enormous waste of money.  Much better to just support everyone at a level where they have adequate means to receive and generate good ideas.