Quotations and Literature Forum

Greetings! In the movie "28 days", a phsycologist says something like this to Sandra Bullock - "Insanity is defined as repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result". Please, please tell me who said that. I would love to use it, but would like to give proper credit. Thanks!

I found it listed as an original saying of the Alcoholics Anonymous movement, with good reason! Most sites give it to the movie 28 Days.

It's also widely attributed to Einstein by several reputable Web sites, but so far I haven't found one that cites the published source, and I just finished a comprehensive book of Einstein's writings, Ideas and Opinions, without coming across it. If Einstein did originate it, I'd love to find the source. It does "fit" with his ideas about humans, governments, society.

Not to be lazy, but since this is a new board, I just want to see if anything happens to member status at 25 posts or if another little chiclet under my name will highlight.

Nothing. The next magic number must be 30; maybe 50.

A while back I tried looking for this and came up with the following reply:

"The height of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result"? and who said it.
A: The most common version is:
"The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over, and then expecting different results."
It is usually attributed to Albert Einstein.
http://trivia.about.com/games/trivia/li ... 030501.htm
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." This common-sense aphorism, sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein,
http://www.cse.org/local/al/813.html

The quote: "The defininition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results" has often been attributed to Einstein. I understand, however, that credit should go to Rita Mae Brown. Is this correct?
http://www.iwillfollow.com/rmb/gb-0501-0520.html

I can't find anything definitive on this one either. I'm going with Einstein.

Luna: I believe it's 30.

_________________
Michael Moncur
Owner and maintainer, The Quotations Page

And I'll keep looking for the original source.

Okay, mgm, let's see what happens -- maybe over 30?

People like Einstein, Twain, Wilde, Shaw, Churchill, Lincoln, and others have their words and writings so well documented that, for me, it borders on the inconceivable that if this were actually an Einstein quote, someone would have come up with a source a long time ago.
When I find a quote that is fairly famous attributed to a famous person (especially the likes of the ones I mentioned) and cannot find a source, I make every effort to say "attributed."
I do not believe this is an Einstein quote (until I'm proven wrong).
It sounds a bit like:
"The world we've made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking"
~ Albert Einstein.
http://www.lemberg.com/brekthru.shtml

On that same webpage you will find this remark:

"...as the author Rita Mae Brown wrote, "Insanity is when you keep doing the same things expecting different results".
~ Paul Lemberg

This person claims:
Rita Mae Brown in Rubyfruit Jungle says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting a different result.
~ Sandra Ford Walston
http://www.walstoncourage.com/pages/boo ... terten.htm

This person read Rita Mae Brown's "Rubyfruit Jungle" and did not find it
http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/pipermail/l ... 01059.html

...in the words of Rita Mae Brown:
Insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results...

And the Internet will provide all kinds of attributions:

"Insanity", said Rudyard Kipling, "is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results".
http://www.canceraction.org.gg/diff.htm

Bottom line for me:
I am leaning heavily toward Rita Mae Brown for this one, but am still not 100 percent convinced.

After several hours in this single-minded pursuit, I'm beginning to believe the definition of insanity is searching for the origin of this quotation (similarly, Einstein DID say he had a new theory of eternity after listening to a deadly boring after-dinner speech once).

thenostromo makes an excellent point, one we aficionados of the quotable phrase know well: eloquent, witty, and/or pithy quotations are often attributed to famous people, and sometimes several famous people simultaneously. Then the attribution becomes cemented in the popular mind, difficult to eradicate ever after. (See Ralph Keyes' book Nice Guys Finish Last, which Phaedrus originally recommended to me in the old forum, for an enormously entertaining expostulation of why this happens.)

However, I lean toward the Einstein origin on this one because it sounds like Einstein, especially his exhaustive efforts to persuade humanity and governments to adopt unilateral nuclear disarmament. Second to that, I also think it is applicable to a number of things he wrote about the process of scientific discovery, but the key word "insanity" seems to fit with the latter.

thenostromo, Quoteland attributes this to Einstein. As a moderator of that site, could you query your friends as to their source?

Wow what a definition ! Well, Einstien said that

Thanx

_________________
Live and Let other Live!

Keyes book is actually titled "Nice Guys Finish Seventh." The book's interesting, entertaining preface can be read online: http://www.ralphkeyes.com/pages/books_old/niceguys/excerpt.htm

I thought "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" was the definition of "staying the course."

I've also heard the original quote in question attributed as being 'a chinese proverb'

_________________
Sanctuary: a small safe place in a troubling world

I believe that was anonymous said that, and what he meant was "insanity"
is the state of being in love". Now, let's move on. gregariously, Bill

Greeting from Ireland. I just saw the definition of madness quote attributed to Tony Robbins. It did my "head in" so I started to look it up. I could not believe it when I found a forum debate going on here since 2002. I am only glad that this life coach idiot I spoke to mis-attributed the quote to their guru!!