You’ve probably been watching a movie or reading a book when one of the characters’ voices grows serious and they say in a dramatic tone, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” This quote sends a chill down the spine and brings a newfound intensity to the story as well as to all those who hear it. Some of you, though, have probably wondered where this quote comes from, or maybe even assumed it was, at some length, a true scientific aspect of insanity. However, this is not completely accurate, and the origin is most likely very different from what you think.

    Before we get into the origin of the actual quote, there must first be a correction to the misconception that this quote was first said by Albert Einstein. A lot of people give him credit for saying this, when in reality, there is no evidence that this famous physicist said anything of the sort. In fact, the first time people started attributing this quote to him was in the 80s, which was decades after his death. You should therefore think twice before you buy a poster or mug that has this so-called “famous Einstein” quote written on it.

    The very first time the quote actually appeared was in the year 1983, in a book written by the Author Rita Mae Brown, called Sudden Death. In the book this quote is said by a fictional character named Jane Fulton. So in reality this modern day quote of insanity comes from the mind of Rita Mae Brown. 

    Even though the full quote we know today comes from this book, repetition has been attributed with insanity since the mid 1800s. Famous writers and philosophers have been linking the two and exploring their combination for nearly 200 years. For example, a famous Danish philosopher in the 1840s named Søren Kierkegaard explored the philosophy and dangers of not using repetition in the right way, saying it can even lead to madness. Many others add to this idea, ultimately influencing Rita Brown’s phrasing of it.

    So really, the proper way to use this quote is as a figure of speech. Repeating the same thing over and over again does not mean you are insane. If that were true then nearly everybody would be insane. It is not a fact that repetition is directly related to insanity. The quote is simply stating that it is crazy to keep doing the same old thing over and over, trying to get somewhere new. It tells you that you should try to take different courses of action and try new things to actually achieve your goals.