History Main / YouWereTryingTooHard

** "Like painting a masterpiece, its a work of ''heart''." Which is then reinforced during his hero career and stated outright after the climax.

See also GaveUpTooSoon. Compare SheatheYourSword.

* The CentipedesDilemma is often due to this.

-->'''Siobhan:''' ''And you really believe all that? ''I can't tell when you decorate your sentences with all those hedges.

-->'''Siobhan:''' ''And you really believe all that? '''I can't tell when you decorate your sentences with all those hedges.'''''

* On ''ILoveLucy'', Lucy and Ricky are on a TV quiz show. After [[WhatAnIdiot Lucy]] blows the first two questions, the third asks what George Washington said while crossing the Delaware. Ricky, who has no idea, says to Lucy, [[spoiler: "I have a headache. I need to sit down."]]

* In "Q Who" Q tells Picard he wants to become a member of the Enterprise, and he'll even renounce his godly powers to do so. Picard tells them he believes they are equipped to handle anything the universe can throw them without Q's help. So, Q throws the Enterprise into Borg space. Just as the Borg are about to destroy/assimilate the Enterprise, Picard admits they aren't prepared and they do need Q after all. Satisfied, Q whisks them away from Borg space and departs. (Note that it wasn't simply because Picard satisfied Q's ego, but because Picard showed he was not too prideful to either realize or admit he was wrong.)

** Earlier: "Stop ''trying'' to hit me, and ''hit'' me!"

* [[StarWars "No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."]]

** Of course, to some of us, this advice is akin to saying [[TheGame "don't think of a purple elephant"]] in a room full of purple elephants.

* Certain techniques in fencing, especially making an attack to the foot in epee, are less accurate the harder you think about what you are doing. [[hottip:*:Unless your oponent has studied his Agrippa - which I have!]]

* [[StarWars "No! Do not try. Do. Do, or do not. There is no try."]]

* This is a huge part of learning to fly in Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy.

* At the beginning of ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'', the family is appearing on a game show and is asked a question they don't know the answer to. Chevy Chase's wife whines "Clark!", which is the name of Chevy's character. This turns out to be the correct answer to to question.

** In "Peak Performance," Data plays against and loses to Sirna Kolrami in the game Strategema. He's really bothered by it--albeit stoically so--and runs dozens of diagnostics to figure out why he lost. Later in the episode, after saving the lives of millions or whatever, he reboots his confidence subroutine...yadda yadda yadda, and goes back to try again. This time, he doesn't try to win, he tries to draw. This makes the game go on longer than Sirna can handle (since his neural capacities don't allow him to play Strategema, sudoku, Ms. Pacman, and Final Fantasy VII all at once) and he [basically] [[RageQuitforfeits in a fit of rage]].

** In "Peak Performance," Data plays against and loses to Sirna Kolrami in the game Strategema. He's really bothered by it--albeit stoically so--and runs dozens of diagnostics to figure out why he lost. Later in the episode, after saving the lives of millions or whatever, he reboots his confidence subroutine...yadda yadda yadda, and goes back to try again. This time, he doesn't try to win, he tries to draw. This makes the game go on longer than Sirna can handle (since his neural capacities don't allow him to play Strategema, sudoku, Ms. Pacman, and Final Fantasy VII all at once) and he [basically] forfeits in a fit of rage.

* Also in ''TheLordOfTheRings''. Let's see. A special dwarvish door that says "Speak, friend, and enter" on it? And we need to figure out what the special password is? Boy. If only elvish runes had quotation marks...
** They don't solve that by trying less hard, though.

* Certain techniques in fencing, especially making an attack to the foot in epee, are less accurate the harder you think about what you are doing.
** Unless your oponent has studied his Agrippa - which I have!

* In ''Disney's {{Hercules}}'' during a training montage/song the titular character is shown launching projectiles at practise dummies. He misses repeatedly, then turns away throwing another weapon as he does. This hits the target, for some reason both him and his trainer consider this a success.
* ''TheFifthElement'': After trying numerous ways to activate the four elemental stones, they all gives up. David laments that they're going to die and sighs, inadvertently activating the wind stone. Turns out the stones need their classical element to activate (wind for wind, earth for earth, and fire for fire).

* Also in ''TheLordOfTheRings''. Let's see. A special dwarvish door that says "Speak, friend, and enter" on it? And we need to figure out what the special password is? Boy. If only elvish runes had quotation marks...

* In HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone, the final test to get the stone is to get it from the Mirror of Erised. However [[BigBad Voldemort]] couldn't get it while Harry was able to. Dumbledore later reveals to Harry that only a person who wanted to find the stone, but not use it would be the one to get it.

** In "Peak Performance," Data plays against and loses to Sirna Kolrami in the game Strategema. He's really bothered by it--albeit stoically so--and runs dozens of diagnostics to figure out why he lost. Later in the episode, after saving the lives of millions or whatever, he reboots his confidence subroutine...yadda yadda yadda, and goes back to try again. This time, he doesn't try to win, he tries to draw. This makes the game go on longer than Sirna can handle (since his neural capacities don't allow him to play Strategema, sudoku, Ms. Pacman, and Final Fantasy VII all at once) and he [basically] forfeits in a fit of rage.

* TheFifthElement: After trying numerous ways to activate the four elemental stones, they all gives up. David laments that they're going to die and sighs, inadvertently activating the wind stone. Turns out the stones need their classical element to activate (wind for wind, earth for earth, and fire for fire).
* [[TheFilmOfTheBook The movie]] of ''HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'' [[AdaptationDecay changes]] the way to escape the [[GardenOfEvil Devil's Snare]] from [[KillItWithFire repelling it with fire]] to not struggling against it.
** Actually, Hermione still casts a spell to produce sunlight (which is also the way to defeat it in the book, not fire) which actually saves them from the plant. Not struggling just kept them alive long enough for her to come up with the solution.

** Since it's repeatedly stated that Saidar and Saidin, the male half of the One Power, are equally powerful, and male channelers control Saidin by forcibly directing it, there are some Unfortunate Implications here...
*** Repeatedly stated by those who believe it, but [[YouFailLogicForever that doesn't mean it's true.]] In fact, in a one-on-one fight, a male channeler will almost always beat a female channeler. Female channelers compensate by being able to link without the assistance of male channelers; male channelers cannot do the reverse. (And thirteen linked female channelers can overpower any one male channeler.) Either way, Saidin and Saidar are not equally powerful.
**** Saidin and Saidar ''are'' equally powerful. It's not a sure thing that a male channeler will beat a female channeler. Male channelers are generally more powerful, but female channelers are more dexterous in their weaving. Effectively, they're matched. In the books, male channelers are generally more powerful because the Black Tower actively recruits while the White Tower doesn't.
** Also relates to the elements they're strongest in. Saidin is fire and earth, elements which are built on power. Saidar is wind and water, which give may when struck with force. It's possible that the force Saidin users use water Powers with are actively invoking this trope.

* In HarryPotter/HarryPotterAndThePhilosphersStone, the final test to get the stone is to get it from the Mirror of Erised. However [[BigBad Voldemort]] couldn't get it while Harry was able to. Dumbledore later reveals to Harry that only a person who wanted to find the stone, but not use it would be the one to get it.

** It does, however, work for Richard in ''Neverwhere'' when he loses his keys in the mud.
** Malicia in ''The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents'' tries to invoke it as well, and it's possibly a hidden double subversion in that she tries too hard accidentally leaning on things before Keith gets it first thing he tries by actually looking.
* This happens to Bilbo during the riddle-game in ''TheHobbit'': he can't figure out a riddle, he's really spooked, and he squeaks "Time!" meaning "Give me more time!" It's the right answer.
** Technically, also how Bilbo wins the riddle-game. Trying to think up a riddle, he off-handedly asks himself, "What's in my pocket?" Gollum takes it as a riddle.
** Also in TheLordOfTheRings. Let's see. A special dwarvish door that says "Speak, friend, and enter" on it? And we need to figure out what the special password is? Boy. If only elvish runes had quotation marks...