Who is it that first said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”?

First, I wrote, "Albert Einstein.", and hit the submit button. About thirty seconds later, I discovered the author was Ben Franklin. And then I found out editing answers had just become impossible, Furthermore, things would be like that for a while.

There's nothing like staring at the absence of "edit this answer" to make you wish the federal government was spending billions of dollars on time travel instead of arrogance. Or, more realistically, to make me wish I'd verified the information before answering. Thanks to Bob for being so cool about the whole thing. Very decent of you, considering my answer was wrong and stayed that way for a while. Live and learn:)

It's most often attributed to Albert Einstein, sometimes to Benjamin Franklin, but I have never seen a specific citation for either one, which makes me suspect it was neither.

It doesn't sound like Franklin to me. (Is "over and over" a phrase that was used in the 18th century? It sounds more modern than that -- I think Franklin would more likely have said "repeatedly.")

I suspect this one really should be attributed to the prolific "Anonymous."

Benjamin Franklin who died in 1790 is credited with this quote about insanity.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

The answer isn't really known but current consensus is that it came from the author Rita Mae Brown in her book Sudden Death on Pg. 68 from 1983. Which is completely undermined by the additional information included below.

Quote: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results."

Most people will attribute this quote to Albert Einstein but there is no evidence to suggest that he made this statement.

This quote "Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results" appears in the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous which was copyrighted in 1982 and later published in 1983. It is found on page 11 of the final "Review Form" which was distributed to the fellowship in November of 1981. This is 2 years before Ms. Browns book and said by members to be contained in the original "red booklet" released, (although never formally published) sometime in the 60's. It is found on page 23 of the current sixth edition.

I'm going with...
"the prolific "Anonymous." "-slb slb :-)

Actually it stems from Rita Mae Brown's novel Sudden Death, New York , 1983, p. 68.

I am a chinese. I have very good knowledge on chinese proverb. I have never hear this. so this isn't chinese proverb I think.

None of the answers so far answer the question. Who first said or wrote that definition of insanity? It has become quite popular, and I'd not realized it was so muddled in attribution-land. In checking the Net I've seen a perfect example of the squirriliness of Net sources, with Net authorities stating with equal assuredness that it was Einstein, Ben Franklin, and at least two others including "ancient Chinese proverb." I seriously doubt each one, but that means I could be wrong at least one out of four or five times. Franklin didn't speak or write in such terms (He would have said "madness" and "repeatedly" and inserted a "ye" or a "whereas" here and there, methinks).
I'd keep trying on the Net, but I'm beginning to think one of you out there might take on a big assignment and look it up in some paper, volume, periodical and otherwise obsolete "library" institution. Meanwhile I'll go on about my life. Good luck!

“One definition of insanity is to do the same thing, day-after-day, expecting different results”
- Mark Silber

“The very definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.” - Philip Mangano

“Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way and
expecting a different outcome”

Old Chinese Proverb

http://en.thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=insanity+is+doing+the+same+thing

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes/business/benjamin_franklin/the_definition_of_insanity_is_doing_13716

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
This and variations on it have been attributed to various different sources, including Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, an old Chinese proverb, and Rita Mae Brown"
Source:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Insanity

It was God. He keeps allowing more & more people to be born and expecting different results.

Therefore… God is insane.

It’s a joke… relax.

I agree, it was the Roman philosopher "Repetitious"

i beleive it was albert einstein

eistein

It was the Roman philosopher "Repetitious" who first said it. :)

I think it was Einstein

i would say one of the 5 or so people listed above, and to further add to it, this sounds like a form of insanity i could live with!

bill wilson the founding member of alcoholics anonamous.

It was Albert Einstein!

Rita Mae Brown

God is the giver of all good thoughts and we express them. That explains why the same thoughts come from all over the world even though there is no prior communication of that idea/thought through any form of contact, be it ancient or current.

ancient Chinese proverb that applies to modern communication: “I hear, and I

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Not sure who said it, but it certainly was NOT Einstein or Franklin. Those guys were not idiots and would not have said something so stupid.

Insanity is a legal term...
This quote sounds more like the definition for persistence!

ancient Chinese proverb that applies to modern communication: “I hear, and I

Actually, it is Rita Mae Brown, Sudden Death (Bantam Books, New York, 1983), p. 68.

I first heard that expression around the tables of Alcoholics Anonymous. I believe it was in the book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions".

Benjamin Franklin

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insanity is continuing to read this thread

It's funny that no one seems to have gotten this, with all the speculation, internet fact-checking, etc. The quote comes from the book Narcotics Anonymous, (c) 1981.

Benjamin Franklin

I'm not so sure that really is insanity.

doesn't matter.....could of been the wisest of all, Solomon......what matters is , it is a sane and wise quote of the negative repititions of mankind.....:) i'd go with 'anonymous'.....

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This quote "Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results" appears in the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous which was copyrighted in 1982 and later published in 1983. It is found on page 11 of the final "Review Form" which was distributed to the fellowship in November of 1981. It is found on page 23 of the current sixth edition.

It's not in the dictionary, it wasn't Franklin or Einstein - or even George Carlin. Those are urban legends.

The Narcotics Anonymous document predates Rita Mae Brown's book by two years.

Proof is in the Albert Einstein book - And the citation is??? Letters to Solovine.