he saying “give it the old college try” comes from none other than Babe Ruth, better known as one of the most proficient athletes of his era. Sometimes even one of the greatest out there feels they have to try even when it might not work should be inspiring, since more often than not, we try and try and the only thing we get is a lesson on what not to do next time.
The “there was an attempt” internet community is dedicated to showcasing some of the best fails people have documented out there. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.
To Describe How Socialism And Capitalism Work

To Provide Healthcare

To Paint Portland Protesters As Dangerous Thugs

From America’s Funniest Home Videos in the 1990s to modern internet communities like “There Was an Attempt” and viral TikTok compilations, fail content has proven to be one of the most enduring forms of entertainment. These videos showing people slipping, stumbling, and spectacularly messing up simple tasks generate billions of views across platforms, but the reason for their popularity goes far deeper than simple humor. The psychology behind our love of watching others fail reveals uncomfortable truths about human nature and the way we maintain our sense of self worth.
The primary psychological mechanism at work is schadenfreude, a German term that translates literally to “harm joy.” This universal human emotion describes the pleasure people feel when witnessing the misfortunes of others. While the term originated in German, similar concepts exist across cultures, demonstrating that this is not merely a Western phenomenon but rather something fundamental to human psychology.
To Say You Wont ‘Interfere With The Current Building.’

To Blame Obama

To Identify The Agents

Social comparison theory, developed by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, explains that people constantly compare themselves with others, and watching someone else fail can make us feel relatively better about our own competence and status. Research suggests a connection between schadenfreude and self esteem.