Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·155 of 348
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. — Einstein"
They never said that.
What people say
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. — Einstein"
What was actually said
"Einstein did not say this." Earliest documented appearance: Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous, 1981
Why it stuck
Einstein attribution is modern bumper-sticker shorthand — he died in 1955; the line surfaces in print only in the 1980s. The saying is real; the famous author isn't.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.