The definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results
Unchecked
| The definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "Insanity is actually defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." | |
| Domain | Health & Medicine |
| Tactic | False Context Statistical & Evidentiary Distortion |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 1980s |
| Origin | Recovery-group literature in 1981, then novels, speeches and memes that presented the saying as a true definition. |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-31 |
| Further reading: books on Health & Medicine | |
The saying is often stated as if it were a real definition of insanity. Many people repeat it as a clinical or dictionary fact.
It began as a pointed remark in recovery circles. It is not a medical or legal definition. The verdict is Misleading: it works as a quip about stubbornness but not as a definition.
What the evidence shows
[edit]- Not the real definition. A HuffPost column says this is not the definition of insanity. It says the line first appeared in print in a 1981 Narcotics Anonymous text. The column also says mental health professionals do not use 'insane' as a clinical term.
- Legal meaning differs. The same column explains that in law, a defendant may be found not guilty by reason of insanity if severe mental illness kept them from knowing the act was illegal. A mental health provider's explainer gives a similar account: it calls insanity a legal term, not a medical diagnosis.
- Repetition is not always foolish. One commentary points out that repeating an action can bring different results when the context or preparation changes. It says improvement usually comes from adjusting between repetitions.
- Origin was informal. Quote Investigator found versions in recovery literature and fiction, not in medical texts. The saying works as a rhetorical device, not a diagnosis.
Why it matters
[edit]The saying is used in politics, business and self-help to mock people who keep a failing course. Presenting it as a definition gives a rhetorical jab the weight of science. It also blurs the legal and medical meanings of mental illness.
Sources
[edit]- HuffPost, "Insanity: The Real Definition" Link
- MindWell Psychiatric Services (Michael Kuron), "What Is Insanity? A Mental Health Provider Explains" Link
- Quote Investigator (Garson O'Toole), "Quote Origin: Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results", 23 March 2017 Link
- Reader Eric's Mind, "The Definition of Insanity: Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Really Insane?" Link