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Trying, Doing, and Insanity
Where do you draw the line between repeating an idea and acknowledging it won’t work?
One of my favorite quotes, usually attributed (likely wrongly) to Albert Einstein, says:
“Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results.”
By the same token, you’ve likely heard the old proverb attributed to Thomas Palmer:
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Don’t give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end.”
Combined, these form something of a paradox. So just where do you draw the line between repetition and recognizing it no longer serves you?
This is not an easy question with an easy answer. It can be a very fine line between too many attempts, and not giving something enough energy. Also, where in some instances do you know after a single attempt if it’s time to move on, versus giving it two or three attempts?
Most importantly, while it is a good idea to make more than one attempt, it’s imperative to alter something in each one.
That is the real place where the difference lies between these two ideas.
