Yoda, is one of the most iconic characters created. He is quoted and poked fun at often. But Yoda’s words of wisdom also are meaningful. “Do or do not. There is no try,” is one of my favorites. Sometimes it takes a lot of thought and contemplation to figure out the meaning. I would join Yoda’s dojo in a second.

You Must Unlearn

“You must unlearn what you have learned.” - Yoda*

The Jedi were the Peacekeepers of Justice they were the powerful knights of the Galactic Republic. One of the powerful and who held the position of Grand Master on the Jedi Council was Yoda. Yoda was 70 centimeters tall, light green with pointed ears and sharp teeth. Yoda lived to be older than most species, 900 years old. Many of the well known and popular Jedi had Yoda as a master or instructor. His wisdom is legendary, often asking his Padawan, pupil, to totally change.

For there to be complete change we “must unlearn what we have learned”. What is change? It is something different – it is one thing becoming another thing. There are Physical, Spiritual and Emotional changes. When there is a change something stops working and a new thing takes the place of the old. For there to be complete change our old way of thinking needs to change. Sometimes this is very difficult because we may have years of conditioning to relearn. Here is a basic idea – most people do not like Brussels sprouts because they are just steamed or boiled. They are bland and oddly taste like mini-cabbages. Then one day a dish is served –sliced Brussels sprouts sautéed in butter with onion, garlic almonds and the slightest hint of brown sugar. The resulting taste is phenomenal and there is an immediate change in perception of Brussels sprouts and a willingness to try more. Then we find what has been learned is now unlearned and a new way of thinking is born.

Yoda
First Appearance: Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back, episode V, Twentieth Century Fox, May 21, 1980

Creators: George Lucas

* Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back, episode V, Twentieth Century Fox, May 21, 1980, Frank Oz (actor)