#223: Peck a different button

Are you insane? Here’s a quick test: Are you doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? That’s how Albert Einstein defined insanity.

It’s easy to behave insanely in this way and quite common. Behavior psychologists even have a name for it - repetition compulsion. They discovered it by studying pigeons. Pigeons tend to repetitively peck the same button to get a corn pellet, even though random pecking led to the result, and even if that button no longer delivers as expected.

Like pigeons, some people seem addicted to repeat today what worked for them in the past, even though today is a different button.

Obviously, humans are not pigeons. Our affairs are not static; we face constant change. It should be common sense that doing same things over and over will not produce different outcomes.

It is time to peck at a different button... or go insane.



I’m JamesMcIntosh@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2008 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA