Repetition or Insanity?

Life is a funny thing you know, it seems we do the same things over and over again hoping for a different outcome. Some would call that the definition of insanity. Much repetition is for the good of men. Repeatedly tying our shoelaces for example is a very good thing, otherwise how would we ever perfect the skill? I, for one was a little slow in the mastery of shoelace tying but I kept at it. I still remember in the 4th grade finally tying that first perfect loop (still one of my greatest accomplishments to this day...seriously).

After I finished my first managerial accounting course in college I was overjoyed with myself for overcoming that hurdle. To my dismay the next term I realized that I had to repeatedly use the same accounting principles in not one but two of my courses. Leave it to me to select a discipline to study that required repetition at every turn. We see patterns of repetition in the gospel, in the principles taught, in the way they are taught, and to whom they are taught. Repetition in this sense is in perfect alignment with the repetition of shoelace tying, both essential to help us along the path of self mastery.

How often though do we repeat actions or do we repeatedly settle on the same opinion or do we repeatedly make the same choice expecting a different outcome each time; where the repetition isn't helping us to perfect a certain aspect of our lives or helping us learn something that we'll continually build upon? This happens a lot in my life. From things as trivial as hoping each time I watch A League of Their Own that Dottie won't drop the ball when Kit collides into her at home plate, wanting that different outcome if I just repeat the scene enough times. To weightier matters of life, such as repeatedly making the same judgments based on pure assumptions to [insert you favorite futile repetition]. Depending on the nature of our repetition the definition could be called just that, repetition or if we aren't careful it could quickly be converted to the definition of insanity.