--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I tried though,\" he says. \"Goddammit…" description: "\"“But I tried though,\" he says. \"Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?”\" — Ken Kesey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png" --- # But I tried though," he says. "Goddammit, I sure as hell… ![“But I tried though," he says. "Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?” quote by Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png) > ““But I tried though," he says. "Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?”” [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The character admits to having tried hard, emphasizing effort despite doubt. **In simple terms:** Effort persists even when uncertain. Key Takeaway Acknowledge effort, not just outcome. Themes effort self‑doubt perseverance Mood determined reflective Type motivational literary When to use this quote - personal challenges - team projects - creative work - self‑improvement Key Concepts psychology character study Questions to Reflect On - When did effort feel futile? - How do you measure progress? A Different Perspective Effort alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Fucking hell. "Did you guys plan that out?" 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Like 'Y the hell did I date you?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-don-t-have-ex-s-i-have-y-s-like-y-the-hell-did-i-date-you/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [I dont have EX'S I have Y's like Y the hell did I date](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-dont-have-ex-s-i-have-y-s-like-y-the-hell-did-i-date/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [What the hell did we do to deserve this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hayward/what-the-hell-did-we-do-to-deserve-this/) [Tony Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hayward/) > [“How in hell did she think she knew me when I didn’t know myself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-knight/how-in-hell-did-she-think-she-knew-me-when-i-didn-t-know-myself/) [Natasha Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-knight/) > [“I went to Hell and back for her! 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I have y's. like y the hell did I date you>?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/i-dont-have-exs-i-have-y-s-like-y-the-hell-did-i-date-you/) [Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/) > [Sometimes I think back to everything I've been through, and I wonder, 'Man, how the hell did I get here?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-goldberg/sometimes-i-think-back-to-everything-i-ve-been-through-and-i-wonder/) [Bill Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-goldberg/) > [Where the hell am I, and how did I get here?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/where-the-hell-am-i-and-how-did-i-get-here/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“From where in hell did he come from? Where have you been all this time?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-swart/from-where-in-hell-did-he-come-from-where-have-you-been-all-this-time/) [Karen Swart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-swart/) ## More by Ken Kesey > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Okay, stand outa the way. Sometimes when I go to exertin' myself I use up all the air nearby and grown men faint from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/okay-stand-outa-the-way-sometimes-when-i-go-to-exertin-myself-i-use/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The frontiers we broke into in the '60s are still largely unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-frontiers-we-broke-into-in-the-60s-are-still-largely-unexplored/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [There's something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/there-s-something-about-taking-a-plow-and-breaking-new-ground-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The best of all possible cages.' Ben stepped back to regard the job with a sad smile. 'What more can one ask?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-best-of-all-possible-cages-ben-stepped-back-to-regard-the-job/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [Your trouble is, you keep trying to unscrew the unscrutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/your-trouble-is-you-keep-trying-to-unscrew-the-unscrutable/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [That ain't me, that ain't my face. It wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/that-ain-t-me-that-ain-t-my-face-it-wasn-t-even-me-when-i-was-trying/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [But if the strength ain't real, I recall thinking the very last thing that day, before I finally passed out, then the weakness sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-if-the-strength-ain-t-real-i-recall-thinking-the-very-last-thing/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“They think they know the book by its cover, but the book knows what it is. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/it-s-gonna-burn-me-just-that-way-finally-telling-about-all-this-about/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [When Shakespeare was writing, he wasn't writing for stuff to lie on the page; it was supposed to get up and move around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/when-shakespeare-was-writing-he-wasn-t-writing-for-stuff-to-lie-on/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“And then some guy wandering as lost as you would all of a sudden be right before your eyes, his face bigger and clearer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/and-then-some-guy-wandering-as-lost-as-you-would-all-of-a-sudden-be/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) [Explore all 295 Ken Kesey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## More Tried quotes > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've tried to have a regular haircut, but it just pops back up again, so this is the way it's going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-ve-tried-to-have-a-regular-haircut-but-it-just-pops-back-up-again/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [I really tried to put my best foot forward all these years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-bindra/i-really-tried-to-put-my-best-foot-forward-all-these-years/) [Abhinav Bindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-bindra/) > [I honestly can't take this anymore. I just cant stand it seeing you with him any longer. I tried to be strong, I tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-el-hallab/i-honestly-can-t-take-this-anymore-i-just-cant-stand-it-seeing-you/) [Mahmoud El Hallab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-el-hallab/) > [There's always, I guess, a philosophy that if you come in, you want to change all the parts, you want to change everything over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-gillick/there-s-always-i-guess-a-philosophy-that-if-you-come-in-you-want-to/) [Pat Gillick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-gillick/) > [My first wife tried to get back with me a year later, but there was no way. I used to think she was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-scolari/my-first-wife-tried-to-get-back-with-me-a-year-later-but-there-was-no/) [Peter Scolari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-scolari/) > [“No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t let them go. He wanted to start fresh, but there is no denying the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-sobon/no-matter-how-hard-he-tried-he-just-couldn-t-let-them-go-he-wanted-to/) [Nicole Sobon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-sobon/) > [I've tried to work as hard as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-babel/i-ve-tried-to-work-as-hard-as-possible/) [Ryan Babel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-babel/) > [Had Elijah Muhammad tried to introduce an orthodox form of Arab-oriented Islam, I doubt if he would have attracted 500 people, but he introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/had-elijah-muhammad-tried-to-introduce-an-orthodox-form-of-arab/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [I have never feared of being typecast as I tried to do different roles on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/i-have-never-feared-of-being-typecast-as-i-tried-to-do-different/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > ['I tried and it didn't work' is a lot better than, 'I wish I'd tried'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-devrye/i-tried-and-it-didn-t-work-is-a-lot-better-than-i-wish-i-d-tried/) [Catherine DeVrye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-devrye/) > [I've heard people tell me there's never been a gay character like Agron on TV before, and some fans have even thanked me because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-feuerriegel/i-ve-heard-people-tell-me-there-s-never-been-a-gay-character-like/) [Dan Feuerriegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-feuerriegel/) Browse all 1,756 Tried quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But I tried though,\" he says. \"Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Kesey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-sure-as-hell-did-that-much-now/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tried" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-sure-as-hell-did-that-much-now/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/ken-kesey-1034_tried_but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-s_2050162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I tried though,\" he says. \"Goddammit, I sure as hell did that much, now, didn't I?” — Ken Kesey", "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": "Ken Kesey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But I tried though,\" he says....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-sure-as-hell-did-that-much-now/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-i-tried-though-he-says-goddammit-i-sure-as-hell-did-that-much-now/#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 } } ] } ```