Insanity

You know how people say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results? According to some people, Albert Einstein said it; I've mouthed it myself at least once in the past. It certainly is an effective rhetorical device if you want someone to change their behavior (arguments are so much easier to win when you define the terms), despite being sort of an ad hominem approach ("you're just being crazy").

Today, though, while thinking about the saying for no particular reason, I realized what a poor adage it is. First of all, it's not the literal definition of "insanity." Go ahead and take 30 seconds to look it up. Secondly, it's not a good functional definition, either. Not even close, actually. Most actions, if repeated, can produce different results, and many do. Think about it: playing slots; speeding on the freeway; petting a leopard; eating food from the thrift store; asking someone out; beachcombing. In fact, it seems to me that expecting different results indicates a measure of faith--at the very least, faith that something else will happen this time--and that, unlike insanity, can be a positive quality. And Einstein's probably been misquoted on faith, too...