You’ve heard it a thousand times. Maybe it was at a corporate retreat, or perhaps your uncle shouted it during a heated Thanksgiving debate about the local football team. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." It sounds profound. It feels true. It’s also, strictly speaking, total nonsense.
Einstein didn’t say it. Ben Franklin didn't write it in Poor Richard's Almanack. Mark Twain definitely didn't quip it while smoking a cigar. Yet, this single sentence has become one of the most persistent "facts" in modern English. We use it to explain everything from toxic relationships to failed economic policies. But if you look at the DSM-5—the literal manual for mental health—you won't find that phrase anywhere near the entry for clinical psychosis or delusional disorders.
Where did this "definition of insanity" actually come from?
If we want to get technical, we have to look at the 1980s. Most researchers, including the folks at Merriam-Webster, point toward a Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet from 1981. It makes sense, right? In the context of addiction, repeating a self-destructive behavior while hoping for a "different" outcome—like not crashing your car or losing your job—is a core part of the struggle. It was a recovery tool, not a medical diagnosis.
But humans love a good quote. We love it even more if we can attach a famous name to it. By the time the 1990s rolled around, this specific "definition" was being attributed to every genius in history. It’s a classic case of a "Misattribution Virus."
The legal reality vs. the catchy slogan
In a courtroom, insanity isn't even a medical term; it’s a legal one. It’s binary. You’re either sane enough to understand the nature of your crimes, or you aren't.
Take the M'Naghten Rule. Established in 1843 after Daniel M'Naghten tried to assassinate the British Prime Minister, it focuses on whether the defendant knew what they were doing was wrong. It has nothing to do with repetition. It has everything to do with cognitive awareness at a specific moment in time. If a defense attorney walked into a courtroom and tried to argue their client was insane because they "kept doing the same thing," the judge would probably laugh them out of the building.
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Medical professionals look for something else entirely. They look for hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and emotional detachment.
The psychology of why we repeat our mistakes
If doing the same thing over and over isn't "insanity," then what is it? Honestly, it's just being human. We have these things called neural pathways. Think of them like hiking trails in your brain. The more you walk a specific path, the deeper the groove becomes. It’s easier for your brain to slide into an old, comfortable habit—even a bad one—than to hack through the brush of a new behavior.
Psychologists call this "repetition compulsion."
Sigmund Freud talked about it a lot. He noticed that people often recreate traumatic or difficult situations from their past. Not because they are "insane," but because they are subconsciously trying to "master" the situation this time around. You date the same type of person who breaks your heart because you’re trying to win a battle you lost twenty years ago. It’s tragic. It’s frustrating. But it’s a predictable psychological mechanism.
Persistent myths and social pressure
We live in a culture that prizes "pivoting." If a startup isn't working, change the model. If a workout isn't showing results in two weeks, try CrossFit. In this high-speed environment, the definition of insanity becomes a weapon. We use it to shame people for their persistence.
Sometimes, doing the same thing over and over is actually the definition of mastery.
Ask a concert pianist how they got to Carnegie Hall. They played the same scales for ten thousand hours. They didn't expect a different result; they expected a refined result. There is a very thin line between a "repetitive mistake" and "deliberate practice." The difference usually lies in the data. Are you actually doing the exact same thing, or are you making micro-adjustments that the naked eye can’t see?
What science says about the "Broken Record" brain
Neuroscience suggests that our brains are actually wired for consistency. We have a "prediction error" mechanism. When we do something and it doesn't work, our brain is supposed to send a signal: "Hey, stop that."
But in certain conditions, like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or specific types of cognitive impairment, that signal gets muffled. A person with OCD might check the stove twenty times. They know, intellectually, that the stove is off. But the "feeling" of certainty never clicks. They aren't "expecting a different result" in the sense of the quote; they are stuck in a biological loop.
- Dopamine loops: These are the real killers. Your brain gets a hit of dopamine just from the anticipation of a reward, even if the reward never comes.
- Sunk Cost Fallacy: You’ve already put so much time into this bad idea, you might as well keep going.
- Cognitive Dissonance: It’s easier to keep doing the wrong thing than to admit you were wrong for the last five years.
A better way to look at change
Maybe we should stop using the "insanity" quote as a catch-all for bad habits. It oversimplifies the complexity of the human mind. Change is hard. It’s not just about "not doing the same thing." It’s about building an entirely new infrastructure for your life.
If you’re stuck in a loop, it’s probably not because you’re insane. You’re likely just tired, or scared, or lacking the tools to see the exit ramp.
How to actually break the cycle
Instead of quoting fake Einstein lines, let's look at what actually works for shifting behavior. You have to disrupt the pattern at the source.
First, you need an outside observer. This is why therapy and coaching are billion-dollar industries. We are biologically incapable of seeing our own blind spots. You need someone to say, "Hey, you've been at this crossroads four times this year, and you always turn left. Let's try right."
Second, you have to embrace the "Uncomfort Zone." Doing something different feels wrong. It feels like a threat to your identity. If it doesn't feel a little bit scary, you’re probably just doing a slightly different version of the same old thing.
Third, look at the variables. If you’re a business owner and your ads aren't converting, don't just change the headline. Look at the product. Look at the market. Look at the timing. Sometimes the "repetition" isn't in your actions, but in your underlying assumptions.
Actionable steps for the "Stuck" mind
- Audit your loops. Spend one week writing down every time you feel "here we go again." Whether it's an argument with a spouse or a failure to hit a deadline.
- Isolate the variable. If you are doing the same thing, find one—just one—part of the process you can legally and safely change.
- Check your sources. Stop getting your life philosophy from Pinterest quotes. If you feel like your mental health is actually suffering, talk to a professional who knows the difference between a habit and a clinical condition.
- Practice "Pattern Interruption." If you always eat junk food while watching TV, stop watching TV in the living room. Change the physical environment to break the neural trigger.
The definition of insanity in a clinical sense involves a profound disconnection from reality. It’s not about making the same mistake twice. It’s about a brain that can no longer process the world as it is. For the rest of us, the "repetition" is just a signal that we have more work to do on our self-awareness.
Stop worrying about being "insane" and start worrying about being stagnant. Persistence is a virtue when applied to the right things, but a prison when applied to the wrong ones. The trick is knowing which is which.
Identify your repetitive loops by looking for "emotional echoes"—those moments where a current frustration feels eerily familiar to a past one. Once you name the loop, the "insanity" loses its power over you.