Not a meme, it comes from a thought experiment trying to disprove quantum mechanics. It’s often attributed to Einstein, though that’s very likely not true.
Well, digging further it seems like we are both wrong.
Rita Mae Brown’s quote is not the earliest example of it being used, so it’s certainly not the origin. Though the misattribution to Einstein was adapted into the quantum argument I knew about. Both are not the earliest mentions of the quote, and the exact origin is debated. The most likely scenario is that it originated in a Narcotics Anonymous setting.
Einstein’s name has also been affixed since his death to quotes from elsewhere. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” for instance, was traced by Einstein archivist Barbara Wolff to US writer Rita Mae Brown’s Sudden Death (1983).
(Source)
Go argue with Barbara Wolff then. She seems to have got that wrong. I guess she rushed her research, being an “Einstein archivist” and all. I mean, you kinda found the right information almost immediately, right? Man, calling herself an “Einstein archivist”, and rushing to conclusion without doing her own research… the nerve of some people, right?
What an overly aggressive reply. But sure, let’s play.
Would you look at this, a 1981 Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet that contains the exact quote: “[…] Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”
Hmm… 1981… But the book was released in 1983… But your previous comment so eloquently said I’m totally wrong, so you’ve just proven time machines exist! How cool! Einstein would be proud!
There are about 3 quotes in that document that match. Some have slightly different wording. The point is not wether or not it’s easy to CTRL + F. Reading is an important skill, you know.
But good to see how you react when presented of evidence you’re wrong. Nice spending time with ya.
Not a meme, it comes from a thought experiment trying to disprove quantum mechanics. It’s often attributed to Einstein, though that’s very likely not true.
EDIT: This is wrong.
It comes from Rita Mae Brown’s “Sudden Death”, which is hardly trying to disprove quantum mechanics…
Well, digging further it seems like we are both wrong.
Rita Mae Brown’s quote is not the earliest example of it being used, so it’s certainly not the origin. Though the misattribution to Einstein was adapted into the quantum argument I knew about. Both are not the earliest mentions of the quote, and the exact origin is debated. The most likely scenario is that it originated in a Narcotics Anonymous setting.
Go argue with Barbara Wolff then. She seems to have got that wrong. I guess she rushed her research, being an “Einstein archivist” and all. I mean, you kinda found the right information almost immediately, right? Man, calling herself an “Einstein archivist”, and rushing to conclusion without doing her own research… the nerve of some people, right?
What an overly aggressive reply. But sure, let’s play.
Would you look at this, a 1981 Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet that contains the exact quote: “[…] Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”
Hmm… 1981… But the book was released in 1983… But your previous comment so eloquently said I’m totally wrong, so you’ve just proven time machines exist! How cool! Einstein would be proud!
Edit: ok, scratch that. You can’t read. You quoted a different text and called it “the exact [same]”. I’m done.
There are about 3 quotes in that document that match. Some have slightly different wording. The point is not wether or not it’s easy to CTRL + F. Reading is an important skill, you know.
But good to see how you react when presented of evidence you’re wrong. Nice spending time with ya.