“I don’t believe in a no-win scenario.”

From: Star Trek

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: James Kirk

The story behind the quote: This is actually the second time I’m getting a quote from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The quote comes from the beginning of the film where Lt. Saavik and the crew of the Enterprise receives a distress call from the Kobayashi Maru, a Starfleet vessel that is stranded in the Klingon Neutral Zone. As Saavik attempts to rescue the crew of the crippled ship, the Enterprise is attacked by waves upon waves of Klingon starships, resulting in the eventual deaths of the crew of the ship.

It turns out the entire scene was just a test for Saavik to see how she would handle a “no-win” scenario. However, it’s revealed shortly after that there was actually someone who “beat” the Kobayashi Maru simulation; Admiral James T. Kirk managed to complete the scenario on his third try.

Geek wisdom: When you think you can’t succeed, chances are you’ll fail because you already let yourself think it’s okay to not succeed. Sometimes, it’s even better to fail so that you can have an excuse for not trying something again. But if you believe that you have to perform a task and actually do it correctly, you will push yourself harder to do so.

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