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The quote is and always has been silly/wrong.

Without a time machine you can't repeat the same thing. It's different every time.




Exactly Panta Rhei doesn't mean not to do the same thing repeatedly, it means even if one does it again, the water flows and the river is completely different.


The origins of the popular quote are apparently drug addiction treatment/recovery[0].

I doubt folks parroting it realize they're essentially regurgitating a line of Narcotics Anonymous propaganda associating addiction with insanity.

[0] https://professorbuzzkill.com/einstein-insanity-qnq/


I've heard this quote repeated so many times over the years that I just assumed everyone in my AA meetings knew what they were talking about. Appreciate the info.




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