Treasuring insanity
A Marecian fable with Edison and Einstein
I awoke in the land of Marecia, and not for the first time.
It seems I was digging for gold, my hands blistering on the wooden shovel, and sweat streaming off my brow.
Albert Einstein walked by. “Howdy,” I said, grateful that this genius had passed my way and might have an idea to speed my progress.
But instead he asked, “How many times have you thrust that shovel into the ground in this spot?”
I had a sinking feeling. Part of me knew what was coming, though the rest of me had not caught up yet. “Oh, many many times, sir,” I answered. “All day long.”
“Tut-tut,” he replied. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.”
He walked off, and I dropped my shovel in despair and exhaustion. I sat, I rested, and I wandered, until I was far away and had different ideas.
Soon I found myself drilling for oil. I drilled and drilled, my hands blistering on whatever people drill with, and sweat streaming off my brow.
Thomas Edison walked by. “Good day,” I said, grateful that another genius had passed my way.
“How may times have you drilled that drill into the ground in this spot?” he asked.
“Oh, many many times, sir,” I answered with a sigh. “All day long.”
“Very good,” he replied. “The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.”
He walked off, and I continued to drill.
A few turns later, I struck gold.
Notes
This oft-repeated Einstein quote is apocryphal, but anything can happen in Marecia.
https://www.businessinsider.com/misattributed-quotes-2013-10
The Edison quote is real.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/thomas-edison-greatest-weakness/
Fun story.
But of course, strictly speaking, each different scoop of dirt taken out of the ground is a different action, so Einstein is a little off base.
Did you pivot to becoming a gold miner or keep looking for oil?
"I keep drilling for oil but all I get are these yellow rocks!"