I just saw this on insanity in a forum: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result every time. Wonder where that's from?

That’s a phrase that has popped up in literature multiple times, there isn’t entirely a source but it has been used in many books.

However, any person who knows enough about psychology or criminology would know this is not even remotely the definition. Not only is it inaccurate, but it is also broad.

Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result can be from something as simple as gambling or playing a repetitive game like Solitare or Binding of Isaac. But that’s a conditioning, and not something “insane”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber

For cases where people are repeating certain unhealthy behaviors and not learning from mistakes, that’s not insanity either. It’s just an inability to learn or problem solve.

I think a more accurate way to describe it is that it’s a form of stupidity, not insanity. And again, that’s fairly broad.