Back in my day, we had three Star Wars movies and no Baby Yodas or Mandalorians. (At least I think we didn't). Yoda was famous for his quote: "Do or do not. There is no try." Bad advice from the little green dude.

We have to try before we can succeed. Trying doesn't have to mean "half-assing" or rationalizing. It can mean dabbling. Toddlers try to walk before they eventually, well, toddle around. I am trying to learn to play classical guitar. I'm not taking it too seriously or putting a lot into it. I'm just messing around with it.

"Do or do not" is scary and wrong. And, to put it in a fancier way, it's a false dichotomy.

"There is no try." Sure there is, Yoda. I try to exercise every day. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, but I leave the door open with "try."

Our language includes idioms like "give it a try," or "try it on for size." Think about the saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." If we followed Yoda, "at first you don't succeed" just means "not do" and it's over. And phrases like those make a lot more sense than Yoda's twisted constructions.

Like this one: “Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.” Maybe I'll listen to him more when he figures out subject-verb order.

(This is my latest "Atomic Essay," part of @ship30for30. I missed yesterday. I didn't try, nor did I do.)