Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·266 of 348
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein"
They never said that.
What people say
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein"
What was actually said
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Anonymous / Rita Mae Brown — Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text (1981) — "Step Working Guide" context; earliest attribution to Rita Mae Brown in Sudden Death (1983)
Why it stuck
No Einstein letter, essay, or recording contains the phrase. The earliest verified print appearance is a 12-step programme pamphlet. The Einstein attribution appears around 1987.
Einstein is the standard "wisdom magnet" — aphorisms with no known author drift to him over time.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.