Post by SsnakeBite, the No1 Frenchman on Jan 13, 2017 6:35:11 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure you know what I mean because it's everywhere these days but in case you don't, it's that quote: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result". I don't know why it's suddenly become so popular but I hear it all the damn time now, in web shows, movies, video games, etc... it really has become a staple of pop culture. And I hate that it has because it's really, really dumb and it's one of those things where something incredibly moronic is being heralded as extremely clever.
Okay, first of all, why are people now treating it like an actual, academically approved fact? It's obviously a quote from some author trying to sound deep and yet I keep seeing it quoted like it's an actual definition you'll find in any dictionary. A proper definition of the term would be something along the lines of "irrational behaviour caused by a delusional state". I am purposely not using one from an actual dictionary just to show that even I can come up with a better definition off the top of my head.
But really, my main issue with it is that it's a really stupid quote. Maybe it made more sense in its original context, as popular quotes often do but I cannot think of any context where this comes even close to accurately describing insanity. Sure glad people with schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, Capgras delusion or reduplicative paramnesia are apparently perfectly mentally healthy according to that definition.
If it's defining anything, it's stubbornness. And even then, not very well. But when it comes to insanity, it is at best an example, assuming that they genuinely cannot comprehend why using the setup will have the same outcome. And even then, I'd say it's more likely to be a symptom of some sort of brain disorder affecting pattern recognition rather than insanity. And if they do comprehend that the same setup will have the same result but try it anyway, it's an example of stupidity, not insanity.
I know it's a random thing to complain about but it keeps popping up everywhere, with the person quoting it seeming very proud of themselves every time while I just roll my eyes and am taken right out of whatever I'm watching/reading/listening to.
Okay, first of all, why are people now treating it like an actual, academically approved fact? It's obviously a quote from some author trying to sound deep and yet I keep seeing it quoted like it's an actual definition you'll find in any dictionary. A proper definition of the term would be something along the lines of "irrational behaviour caused by a delusional state". I am purposely not using one from an actual dictionary just to show that even I can come up with a better definition off the top of my head.
But really, my main issue with it is that it's a really stupid quote. Maybe it made more sense in its original context, as popular quotes often do but I cannot think of any context where this comes even close to accurately describing insanity. Sure glad people with schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, Capgras delusion or reduplicative paramnesia are apparently perfectly mentally healthy according to that definition.
If it's defining anything, it's stubbornness. And even then, not very well. But when it comes to insanity, it is at best an example, assuming that they genuinely cannot comprehend why using the setup will have the same outcome. And even then, I'd say it's more likely to be a symptom of some sort of brain disorder affecting pattern recognition rather than insanity. And if they do comprehend that the same setup will have the same result but try it anyway, it's an example of stupidity, not insanity.
I know it's a random thing to complain about but it keeps popping up everywhere, with the person quoting it seeming very proud of themselves every time while I just roll my eyes and am taken right out of whatever I'm watching/reading/listening to.
