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Try vs. Do
A colleague of mine read a piece I wrote called “Movies About Sales Are About Something Else,” and noticed that I had incorrectly quoted Master Yoda on the virtues of trying vs. doing. I clicked around until I found what is described as the shooting script for “The Empire Strikes Back” at http://www.benandgrover.com/scripts/ep5_ss.txt. Reading it got me thinking about the question of organizational change. But before I get to that topic, here is the Yoda and Luke scene at Dagobah:
179. EXT. DAGOBAH - BOG - DAY.
Luke's face is upside-down and showing enormous strain. He stands on his hands, with Yoda perched on his feet. Opposite Luke and Yoda are two rocks the size of bowling balls. Luke stares at the rocks and concentrates. One of the rocks lifts from the ground and floats up to rest on the other.
YODA
Use the Force. Yes...
Yoda taps Luke's leg. Quickly, Luke lifts one hand from the ground. His body wavers, but he maintains his balance. Artoo, standing nearby, is whistling and beeping frantically.
YODA
Now...the stone. Feel it.
Luke concentrates on trying to lift the top rock. It rises a few feet, shaking under the strain. But, distracted by Artoo's frantic beeping, Luke loses his balance and finally collapses. Yoda jumps clear.
YODA
Concentrate!
Annoyed at the disturbance, Luke looks over at Artoo, who is rocking urgently back and forth in front of him. Artoo waddles closer to Luke, chirping wildly, then scoots over the edge of the swamp. Catching on, Luke rushes to the water's edge. The X-wing fighter has sunk, and only the tip of its nose shows above the lake's surface.
LUKE
Oh, no. We'll never get it out now.
Yoda stamps his foot in irritation.
YODA
So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?
Luke looks uncertainly out at the ship.
LUKE
Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different.
YODA
No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned.
LUKE
(focusing, quietly)
All right, I'll give it a try.
YODA
No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
Luke closes his eyes and concentrates on thinking the ship out. Slowly, the X-wing's nose begins to rise above the water. It hovers for a moment and then slides back, disappearing once again.
LUKE
(panting heavily)
I can't. It's too big.
YODA
Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm.
Luke shakes his head.
YODA
And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. It's [sic] energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we...
(Yoda pinches Luke's shoulder)
...not this crude matter.
(a sweeping gesture)
You must feel the Force around you.
(gesturing)
Here, between you...me...the tree...the rock...everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!
LUKE
(discouraged)
You want the impossible.
Quietly Yoda turns toward the X-wing fighter. With his eyes closed and his head bowed, he raises his arm and points at the ship. Soon, the fighter rises above the water and moves forward as Artoo beeps in terror and scoots away. The entire X-wing moves majestically, surely, toward the shore. Yoda stands on a tree root and guides the fighter carefully down toward the beach. Luke stares in astonishment as the fighter settles down onto the shore. He walks toward Yoda.
LUKE
I don't...I don't believe it.
YODA
That is why you fail.
Luke shakes his head, bewildered.
(continued . . .)
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05/03/06