The definition of insanity

The definition of insanity in it's literal sense would be to show unstable mental health or bouts of madness..Now in life pertaining to human nature we have that definition and this one.Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.I am guilty of this very thing.I catch myself and some others I know falling victim to this scenario all the time.I am amazed at myself when I catch myself doing it.Wondering why I have allowed this thought process to begin.As humans it becomes easy to do something over and over due to optimism that it will work to our advantage.And some times it does.But much like mixing paint if you mix black and white you will get grey.The shades of grey may vary,but all in all you still have grey.I find myself wondering as I watch others and myself why we think we can mix black and white and get blue.Now there are variables to every situation.So if you have changed the circumstances it then loses its insanity because you have changed the rules so to speak.This is were a gift becomes a curse-I mean if you think about it.There is a phenomenal amount of optimism involved in trying something repeatedly to try to effect or change the outcome you have received so many times.The persistence.Yes this persistence is what keeps some moving.I thrive on it sometimes.When does persistence become insanity though?And does it ever become insanity?If you think about it persistence is what may make or break something.There has to be a certain level of optimism in order to keep progressing.If an artist see's a canvas with no vision of what to paint on it they may or may not paint and it may or may not become a masterpiece.So if it can be what makes something progress or if it is part of a transformation so to speak why is it referred to as insanity?Why is persistence considered insanity when without it painters would never become famous,Artist's of any kind would never make it for themselves,Inventors would have given up after the first try,Kids wouldn't strive to get good grades and we as humans would become stagnant.So if insanity is repeating the same thing over and over expecting different results and expecting different results is considered persistence and persistence being what helps things evolve well how can we call progress insanity?