---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do or do not. There is no try,\" says…"
description: "\"Do or do not. There is no try,\" says Yoda, the bewitching philosopher warrior created by George Lucas in Star Wars. Yoda is quoted at least as often as..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png"
---

#  Do or do not. There is no try," says Yoda, the bewitching…

![“Do or do not. There is no try,&quot; says Yoda, the bewitching philosopher warrior created by George Lucas in Star Wars. Yoda is quoted at least as often as the founding fathers on this topic.” quote by Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png)

> “Do or do not. There is no try," says Yoda, the bewitching philosopher warrior created by George Lucas in Star Wars. Yoda is quoted at least as often as the founding fathers on this topic.”

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Yoda emphasizes decisive action; hesitation is ineffective.

**In simple terms:** Act decisively, no excuses.

Key Takeaway

Commit fully to your goals.

Themes

decision‑making confidence action mindset

Mood

motivational serious

Type

cinematic philosophical

When to use this quote

- career choices
- personal projects
- team leadership
- sports performance

Key Concepts

Stoicism willpower commitment

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it better to try and learn rather than act immediately?
- How do you balance confidence with humility?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on binary thinking can ignore nuance and learning from failure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warrior/)

## Related quotes

> [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/)

[Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/)

> [George Lucas should have distributed the 'source code' to Star Wars. Millions of fans would create their own movies and stories. Most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-newell/george-lucas-should-have-distributed-the-source-code-to-star-wars/)

[Gabe Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-newell/)

> [I love creating partnerships; I love not having to bear the entire burden of the creative storytelling, and when I have unions like with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-love-creating-partnerships-i-love-not-having-to-bear-the-entire/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [ I can't remember ever feeling so glad that a movie was finally over. \[Director George\] Lucas may have held my imagination hostage for two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-zacharek/i-can-t-remember-ever-feeling-so-glad-that-a-movie-was-finally-over/)

[Stephanie Zacharek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-zacharek/)

> [I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/i-may-be-even-more-grateful-to-george-lucas-now-than-i-was-as-a-kid/)

[J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/)

> [I guess I feel like it's a gift to meet those talented artists like George Lucas and Oliver Stone, Spike Lee and Richard Kelly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bai-ling/i-guess-i-feel-like-it-s-a-gift-to-meet-those-talented-artists-like/)

[Bai Ling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bai-ling/)

> [That aesthetic of the Star Wars universe: the do-it-yourself, hotrod ethic that George Lucas exported from his childhood, is exactly the same kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/that-aesthetic-of-the-star-wars-universe-the-do-it-yourself-hotrod/)

[Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/)

> [ George \[Lucas\] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hamill/george-lucas-wanted-to-know-whether-we-d-be-interested-he-did-say/)

[Mark Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hamill/)

> [I'm like George Lucas, bringing together a creative team that will come up with a unique, well-crafted product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/i-m-like-george-lucas-bringing-together-a-creative-team-that-will/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [My best advice came by examples. A supportive environment at home, school, and grad school. Support at the New York Institute of Technology, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-catmull/my-best-advice-came-by-examples-a-supportive-environment-at-home/)

[Edwin Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-catmull/)

> [Well, I know that George Lucas doesn't like it at all. When I was working on The Illustrated Star Wars Universe, he told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-j-anderson/well-i-know-that-george-lucas-doesn-t-like-it-at-all-when-i-was/)

[Kevin J. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-j-anderson/)

> [Way back at the beginning, I went to see George Lucas when he first came to London for 'Star Wars.' I met him months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/way-back-at-the-beginning-i-went-to-see-george-lucas-when-he-first/)

[Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/)

> [Pressure, to me, was creating a 'Star Wars' film, then sitting alone in a theater with George Lucas and showing it to him, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/pressure-to-me-was-creating-a-star-wars-film-then-sitting-alone-in-a/)

[Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/)

> [The only one who didn't know was George Lucas. We kept it from him, because we wanted to see what his face looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/the-only-one-who-didn-t-know-was-george-lucas-we-kept-it-from-him/)

[Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/)

> [The person I enjoy working for more than anyone else is George Lucas. He's the best boss I ever had because he's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/the-person-i-enjoy-working-for-more-than-anyone-else-is-george-lucas/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

## More by Jerry I. Porras

> [Builders insist that success may never come without a compelling personal commitment to something you care about and would be willing to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/builders-insist-that-success-may-never-come-without-a-compelling/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [Builders think of success and failure as feedback. They don't judge either as a complete win or loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/builders-think-of-success-and-failure-as-feedback-they-don-t-judge/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [For Builders, the real definition of success is a life and work that brings personal fulfillment and lasting relationships and makes a difference in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/for-builders-the-real-definition-of-success-is-a-life-and-work-that/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [The thing that matters is meaning! It drives everything. Builders align their attention to the things that matter to them, and they know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/the-thing-that-matters-is-meaning-it-drives-everything-builders-align/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [For most Builders, the journey is like shooting for the moon and instead hitting Mars-perhaps a better, but different outcome than envisioned. Builders are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/for-most-builders-the-journey-is-like-shooting-for-the-moon-and/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [Success in the long run has less to do with finding the best idea, organizational structure, or business model for an enterprise, than with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/success-in-the-long-run-has-less-to-do-with-finding-the-best-idea/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [Extraordinary individuals take one step back and two steps forward with most every challenge-and sometimes two steps back to one step forward. They harvest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/extraordinary-individuals-take-one-step-back-and-two-steps-forward/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

> [Enduringly successful people, many of whom live a life that's a gift to the world, don't raise balance as a major issue-not because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/enduringly-successful-people-many-of-whom-live-a-life-that-s-a-gift/)

[Jerry I. Porras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

[Explore all 9 Jerry I. Porras quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/)

## More Father quotes

> [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/)

[John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/)

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/)

[Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/)

[Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/)

> [“My father called twice and left a voicemail—who does that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/my-father-called-twice-and-left-a-voicemail-who-does-that/)

[Megan Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-erickson/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/)

[Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/)

> [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/)

[Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/)

> [“I don’t know. We all have to bear things, Ari. All of us. Your father has to bear the war and what it did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-we-all-have-to-bear-things-ari-all-of-us-your-father-has/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“This was, I sometimes thought, the last gift my father gave me. And the best: His death stood out as the supreme-o excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-was-i-sometimes-thought-the-last-gift-my-father-gave-me-and-the/)

[Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/)

> [My father was very encouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/my-father-was-very-encouraging/)

[Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/)

> [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [It is a sweet thing that we serve a dissatisfied God who has destinations in mind for us that we would never choose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/it-is-a-sweet-thing-that-we-serve-a-dissatisfied-god-who-has/)

[Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/)

> [Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

[Browse all 19,784 Father quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Do or do not. There is no try,\" says Yoda, the bewitching philosopher warrior created by George Lucas in Star Wars. Yoda is quoted at least as often as the founding fathers on this topic.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jerry I. Porras"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-the-bewitching-philosopher/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Father"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-the-bewitching-philosopher/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b21/jerry-i-porras-45142_father_do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-t_1782347.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Do or do not. There is no try,\" says Yoda, the bewitching philosopher warrior created by George Lucas in…” — Jerry I. Porras",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jerry I. Porras",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-i-porras/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Do or do not. There is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-the-bewitching-philosopher/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-i-porras/do-or-do-not-there-is-no-try-says-yoda-the-bewitching-philosopher/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
