Do, or do not. There is no try.

The line is spoken by the Jedi Master Yoda during Luke Skywalker’s training on Dagobah in the film *Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back* (1980). Luke is attempting to use the Force to lift his submerged X-wing from a swamp but expresses doubt, saying he will “try.” Yoda rebukes him with this maxim, emphasizing the Jedi discipline of focused commitment rather than tentative effort. Although commonly attributed to George Lucas as the franchise’s creator, the film’s screenplay is credited to Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by Lucas.

Yoda’s aphorism contrasts wholehearted intention with half-measures. “Try” is framed not as sincere effort but as a psychological escape hatch—an allowance for failure built into the attempt. In the scene, the point is less about denying difficulty than about the role of belief and resolve in action: Luke’s doubt limits what he can accomplish with the Force. More broadly, the quote has been adopted as a motivational maxim urging decisive commitment, though its original dramatic function is also cautionary: it reflects a Jedi worldview in which inner discipline and conviction are prerequisites for extraordinary feats.

1) “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
2) “Do or do not—there is no try.”