I’ve often mentioned the quote ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.‘ It resonates with me and parts of my life. However, what I’ve come to realise is that it is perhaps the pessimist’s definition.

Perhaps the optimist doesn’t see insanity in the ‘doing the same thing’, she sees perseverance. Or does she a change maker? Does she see someone who knows that complex social issues often take years of having the same conversation before a breakthrough is found? Perhaps it’s not insanity but it’s knowing that people are ‘ready to change’ at different times. Perhaps it’s knowing the bell curve and other adoption models are real.

So perhaps insanity lies in the forgetting that change takes time and is not instantaneous.

Photo by Christian Erfurt