You’ve heard it a thousand times.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Bill Clinton used the expression numerous times as a presidential candidate. The quote’s been attributed to everyone from Albert Einstein to Mark Twain. You know at least one individual who uses it every time they quit doing something they probably should not quit doing.
And it’s total nonsense.
Albert Einstein never said such a thing. Neither did Mark Twain. Bill Clinton did say it, but I’ll give him a pass since it’s not close to being the most puzzling thing he said during the ’90s.
Attribution aside, it’s not even accurate.
The real definition of insanity? It’s the state of being mentally ill.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? That’s not insanity.
That’s optimism. That’s persistence.
Should you do A/B testing? Yes. Should you periodically evaluate your blogging strategies and adapt as needed? Absolutely. But you should also try. And try again. And try yet again.
The lack of persistence is why some guys in high school didn’t have a date to the prom. It’s why some people give up trying to lose weight after several failed diets. It’s why the web is littered with abandoned blogs.
People give up. They stop trying. And this inaccurate, oft-repeated definition of insanity gives them an easy out.
Don’t take the easy out.
You’re not insane for continuing to pitch guest posts to Jon Morrow, Darren Rowse, and the influential bloggers in your niche. You’re not insane for spending time each day on social media to gain followers. You’re not insane for consistently publishing content that aches for a bigger audience.
You’re persistent.
And you know the definition of persistence, right? It’s continuing a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
If insanity is doing the same thing over and over despite difficulty or opposition, I think we all should be a little more insane.
