If you're going to drop some Yoda, then at least pick a better quote

Two things drove me to post about Yoda (or really three if you also count the fact that the weather turned incredibly gorgeous this past weekend in Western New York and I didn't want to spend that much of it inside writing blog posts).

First - Saturday was 'Star Wars Day' - May 4th - 'May the fourth be with you' and all that. And second with all the additional attention paid to the legendary entertainment franchise, I know I spotted that venerable old staple quote from our favorite warrior/teacher/philosopher Yoda bandied about more that a few times. Sure, there is a 'try'

You know the one I mean - the 'Do, or do not - there is no try' line that Yoda dropped on Luke Skywalker when young Luke was struggling with his confidence during his training. I know, Yoda must have been shocked that a kid about 2 years removed from working on a dirt farm with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru wasn't sure he could levitate a starfighter in the air using only his mind.

Regardless, that 'there is no try' line gets quoted constantly - and is also really stupid as well. Of course there is a 'try'. We all try things all the time. You have to 'try' things and experiment and explore in order to make life, work, pretty much anything actually interesting. If 'try' is not part of the equation, and you force the world into a black and white 'Do' or 'Do not' pair of choices then 'Do not' is going to win way more often than it should. I could go on for ages about how stupid that quote is, but as I said the sun is out for the first time since September and I want to go outside. 

So I will leave you with this - if must quote your pal Yoda (who is, I might remind you, a fictional character, that doesn't actually exist), then go with this one:

“If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are ... a different game you should play.”

Perfectly played Master Yoda. And actually good advice for after you have ignored his 'Do not try' nonsense and spent some time actually trying new things. Sometimes you have to move on - even if you have done everything right, and even when it doesn't seem fair.

So there you go - a lesser known but infinitely more valuable piece of wisdom from the movies most famous 800 year-old, three foot Jedi.

Have a great week all - May the 4th be with you too, (two days late).

Comments

[Jeffrey Haynes]

Steve - I agree with you. And, if you continue in the script right after Yoda says "there is no try", he and look have this exchange which I think we can learn from too:

LUKE: (discouraged) You want the impossible.

Quietly Yoda turns toward the X-wing fighter. With his eyes
closed and his head bowed, he raises his arm and points at the
ship.
Soon, the fighter rises above the water and moves forward
as Artoo beeps in terror and scoots away.
The entire X-wing moves majestically, surely, toward the
shore. Yoda stands on a tree root and guides the fighter
carefully down toward the beach.
Luke stares in astonishment as the fighter settles down
onto the shore. He walks toward Yoda.

LUKE: I don't...I don't believe it.

YODA: That is why you fail.

When you combine "trying" with "believing", that's when you get powerful results.

[Kristina]

I guess I always took it as in trying you are doing... Hmmm.