Do or do not. There is no try.
Why did Yoda say do or do not. There is no try? Have you ever wondered why Yoda said Do or do not. There is no try? Do you feel the same? If you cannot figure it out to know what was happening, this is how it happened, the origin in the Star Wars movie: Luke crashed his ship into a swamp. Since he had learned how to use the Force to lift rocks and stuff, Yoda instructed him to lift his ship out of the water. Luke could not see the possibility in that and even protested arguing that a whole ship was different from a rock.
When Yoda insisted that the difference was on his mind, he reluctantly agreed and said Okay, I’ll try. Yoda became furious and responded to him. No. Try no. Do or do not. There is no try. Luke, on the other hand, doubted his ability or the possibility of him becoming a Jedi and use the Force. Yoda telling him to lift a whole ship out of the swamp was too much to ask. From the Yoda’s point of view, trying was not going to solve anything.
Yoda must have been a strong believer in completely learning the force and if Luke could not do it, then there was no point in giving it a try. Maybe Yoda felt that trying was the same as ‘it will not work at all’. Furthermore, Yoda wanted Luke to understand that faith was not enough; it was either he knows how it’s done or he becomes a failure. Once Luke knows that there is no difference between a rock and a spaceship, then he will make it.
Yoda confirms this when he lifts the ship out of the swamp, Luke doubts him and quickly tells Yoda he does not believe it. Yoda informs him that that is the reason he will fail. Come to think of it, if your mind is set on trying to do something, could you be setting yourself up for failure by admitting that there is an option of failing? To eliminate the chance of failing in your mind is the beginning of setting your mind to succeed in every way possible. That is basically the point Yoda is trying to drive home. It may seem tough though but according to Yoda, eliminating the option of failure in your equation is the best option. This is where Luke fails to do, and in return, he is unable to lift the ship with his mind. Something he could have done if he believed in himself. The point is, Yoda believes that you must believe that you can do something in order for you to make it.
Challenging Yoda quote belief?
Is trying worth it? To some maybe yes but basically the majority think or feel that if you don’t think you can do something, then there is no point of trying in the first place. Does that sound tough to you? Maybe that is what we need to instill in our children. Could that be the best way of solving the current problems in the world? Whichever your views, people who need a few attempts to start something and get it right are not doing anything out of the place.
In fact, even if you try and fail, at least you will be happy you gave it a try anyway. Do you feel as if there is anything wrong with trying? You should not because it is out of trying that you are certain you cannot or you can do something all together. You will also be confident knowing that you tried and for sure you cannot be able to achieve that particular thing.
There are also instances where you try and out of practice, you perfect it. Believing that you must do it instead of trying and seeing how it works, seems to be quite tiring, intimidating and limiting as well. Committing to try and see how things work is not only freeing but also encouraging, knowing that even if you don’t make it now, it will just be fine and there is also the next time.
Come to think of it, if people didn’t believe in trying, how would the world be like? Boring is an understatement and in fact, there would not be any economic activities going on. The world would be the worst place to live in.
Seeing things with a different angle is also important, someone telling you that it is either you do it or not do it may not necessarily mean that you leave and don’t even bother, what that person may be trying to tell you is to make sure you make it. You see? It is just a way to encourage you so that you feel you will definitely make it.
The only challenge would be if you don’t feel the same and instead, you take that information in a negative way. You will feel like if you don’t make it, then you are no longer important to other person’s life which may not be the actual truth. If someone tells you there is no point in trying because if you don’t make it on the first attempt, then you are a failure, you better disagree with them from the word go.
One of the reasons you should try because if you sit back and do nothing simply because you are not sure if you will make it, you will have become a failure by choice. What if you just try it anyway? Chances are, whether you make it or not, you will be able to move forward knowing your stand.
The theory behind Yoda and Luke
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is interested in learning how to use the force and become a Jedi. He is being helped by a puppet named Yoda, the Jedi master. Jedi training is not taking shape faster as Luke would have wanted although he is doing all this with his mind! Yes, you read right, in his mind and he is pretty discouraged with the results so far. Yoda, on the other hand, is not amused by anything especially Luke’s effort.
Yoda doesn’t hesitate to scold Luke when he just says he will try his darnedest. Yoda tells him to either do it or don’t do it. From Yoda’s point of view, trying will not accomplish much in regards to Luke’s quest. This is a wakeup call for Luke to decide if he is ready to do it or just quit. Basically, from this story, your state of mind is what matters the most. It is not only the Yoda’s most memorable line but it is also a wakeup call to many.
When Luke quickly points out that he will try, Yoda doesn’t think what Luke needs and in return tells Luke it’s either he does it or not, there is no trying. Meaning Luke seems not to be sure if he will make it while Yoda feels there is no point of trying. Yoda feels that there is no point in trying if there is no hope in succeeding in the first place.
Also, Luke is expected to make determined efforts and give his best until he has nothing more to give. Is that too much to ask? If you give something your best and fail, then that will be your fate simply because you didn’t fail without trying your best, you failed because you just couldn’t make it and there is nothing wrong in that.
Does success come from failure?
Actually, a lot of people including famous people failed before becoming successful. This illustrates that they didn’t believe in do or do not; they didn’t make it on their first attempt. What made them successful? Trying again and again. People learn from their own mistakes and what follows next? They are in a better position to know the things to avoid and the best way to tackle the issues this time around. Getting out of your comfort zone is this beginning of your success story. Risking too much is not healthy and it may drain you along the way but at some point, it is very important to give it a try and see how it goes.
Final thoughts
I’ll try can mean that you will do your best but you are not sure of the outcome. This meaning is not the most favorable. Better to use it while facing a real challenge but not during normal issues which you can just do. When you say you will try, then that may be because you are not willing to do it and so you won’t put in the extra effort required. Do or do not may be rather tough because even if you decide to do something is not a must that you will be able to do it no matter how hard you try.
There are people who put up blocks to their own accomplishment, Yoda’s quote can be a perfect wake up call for them. It is very important to push yourself a little further and see what happens. You may just fall in love with the results instantly. Making commitments in life is a good way to start pushing yourself to do things that you initially thought that they were impossible.
Ideally, do or do not is a state of mind and it’s a way to face any type of challenge. If you have a mindset of trying and you happen to go to a fight, will you win? There are times when trying is never in the picture because if you try and fail, does that mean you die. No, do it, you can do it, it is the only option. If you fail try until you make it.
