The "Definition of Insanity" Quote is Not Helpful
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
You’ve probably heard this quote and it was probably attributed to Albert Einstein.
First of all, the actual definition of insanity is this:
the state of being seriously mentally ill; madness.
extreme foolishness or irrationality.
But that’s not my real problem with the quote.
Second of all, there’s no evidence that Albert Einstein said it. But misattribution is a favorite pastime on the internet. Whenever I try to confirm a common quote it seems more likely that it was misattributed.
So that’s not my real problem either.
Thirdly, I understand that the point of the quote is to tell someone to analyze their own behavior, take a close look at their bad habits or tendencies, and try something else. Get out of their comfort zone. “This isn’t working! Stop doing it!”
Or to keep your expectations in check. Don’t expect amazing results when you haven’t gotten amazing results the 100 other times you tried something. That will lead to disappointment.
And that’s all well and good. But those aren’t the most common reasons people use this quote, in my experience.
This quote is usually used as a clever-seeming way to naysay.
I don’t need a quote to convince me to quit something. Fighting the urge to quit is the biggest battle when I decide to take on something challenging.
Fourthly and most importantly,
IT’S TOTALLY POSSIBLE TO GET DIFFERENT RESULTS WHEN YOU DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER!!!
The path to success is usually long. It's usually a grind. It involves experimentation. Doing things over and over again to learn and get better.
Of course it’s useful to do things over and over again if you want to succeed.
Yes, there’s a danger of getting into a rut. Doing EXACTLY the same thing every time and ignoring results can hinder you.
Modify, tweak, experiment.
If it didn’t work a few times that doesn’t mean it will never work. Maybe you just need to try it slightly differently, or maybe the conditions in which you tried it previously have changed.
This quote does more to discourage trying than it does to inspire change.
And yes, maybe you keep trying something and it doesn’t work, but you could be much closer to success than it appears. Maybe it just requires a slight modification.
If you listened to this quote you’d over-simplify your situation, “It never works,” and therefore oversimplify your solution, “I quit.”
I think you get my point.
If you’re really, TRULY doing something you shouldn’t, well, stop doing it. But you don’t need to refer to your sanity.
Craig
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