Insanity and Godot

The official definition of insanity, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, can be defined as “a severely disordered state of the mind usually ocurring as a specific disorder” or the “unsoundness of mind or lack of the ability to understand that prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or that releases one from criminal or civil responsibility.”

While that is the official definition, another definition has been popularized in our modern culture that has been falsely mis-attributed to famous figures such as Albert Einstein or Benjamin Franklin: “the definition of insanity is repeating the same mistakes over and over again and expecting a different result.” This is the definition that has been popularized through pop culture and mutlimedia. It is often featured in our favorite movies, TV shows, and books, leading watchers and readers to believe that it is, in fact the official and nationally accepted definition. It has become the cultural definition of insanity, unique to our own society and culture and has most likely reached other corners of the world. We, as a society, often hear this definition since it has been popularized so much, but it is actually an incorrect definition of insanity. Despite it being officially incorrect, modern culture and society has come to accept this definition, so it can be said that, within our culture, we have developed a second definition for the term that has a unique meaning depending on context since it is so widely accepted and used.

According to the popularized cultural definiton of insanity, the simple act of repeating mistakes defines insanity, but I believe this claim is actually insane because it implies that even if the goal is impossible, trying different methods to attain that goal makes the process sane. I believe that if the goal is impossible, doing anything and trying multiple methods to continually achieve failure is insane. When someone knows that something is impossible and they still continually try to acheive it is, I believe, a form of insanity. There is also the belief that in order to meet the requirements of insanity, people must actually be insane and have certain mental illnesses and that also speaks true to the opposite that people without any measurable mental illnesses are completely sane, but, if we look at these perspectives with the popularized definition in mind, we see that this too is insane. People can do insane and crazy things without having mental illnesses, so the conventional standards for insanity do not necessarily convey insanity as we understand it.

The official definition, unlike the popularized saying, is a term that is not necessarily used in colloquial or everyday conversation. When people call others insane, they are actually using it in a sense that is more relatable to the definitions of stupidity or idiocy. Insanity is actually a legal distinction not a medical one. The official definition of insane carries with it a legal presence in that it can only really be used in a legal standing when judgement is being presented upon a person. It determines a person’s legal state of mind and determinese the guilt or innocence of their actions. Despite most people’s assumptions it is never used in the medical field as it encompasses a wide variety of illnesses and is now an outdated term within the medical world.

In Waiting for Godot we see how Vladimir and Estragon wait for Godot each day, hoping that they will finally meet their friend, but continually failing to do so as Godot never shows up once and often cancels the meeting. As the readers, we see how Vladimir and Estragon meet up and wait for Godot everyday, fulfilling the popularized, cultural definition of insanity. They do the same thing everyday and expect for the results to be different each time. The setting shows how time is passing around them but the two characters are obviously oblivious to everything that goes on around them. They are completely concentrating on their mission to wait for a friend that may be nonexistent. We also see how Vladimir and Estragon always seem to meet up with each other at the exact same spot every single time. They also seem to do the same things and have the same arguments in each encounter. Adding on the the insane vibes, they also seem to reset each day, not really remembering what happened before and sort of just repeating themselves on loop. According to our cultural definition of insanity these two are definitely crazy and can even be seen as the epitome of insanity.