this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023
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Not a meme, it comes from a thought experiment trying to disprove quantum mechanics. It's often attributed to Einstein, though that's very likely not true.
EDIT: This is wrong.
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Well, digging further it seems like we are both wrong.
Rita Mae Brown's quote is not the earliest example of it being used, so it's certainly not the origin. Though the misattribution to Einstein was adapted into the quantum argument I knew about. Both are not the earliest mentions of the quote, and the exact origin is debated. The most likely scenario is that it originated in a Narcotics Anonymous setting.
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What an overly aggressive reply. But sure, let's play.
Would you look at this, a 1981 Narcotics Anonymous pamphlet that contains the exact quote: "[...] Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."
Hmm... 1981... But the book was released in 1983... But your previous comment so eloquently said I'm totally wrong, so you've just proven time machines exist! How cool! Einstein would be proud!
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