rails try method throwing NoMethodError?

Question

Why is try throwing an error? Doesnt that defeat the whole purpose? Maybe its just in the console?

ruby-1.9.2-p180 :101 > User.first.try(:something)
NoMethodError: undefined method `something' for #<User:0x000001046ad128>
    from /Users/me/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p180/gems/activemodel-3.0.10/lib/active_model/attribute_methods.rb:392:in `method_missing'
    from /Users/me/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p180/gems/activerecord-3.0.10/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb:46:in `method_missing'
    from (irb):101
    from /Users/me/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p180/gems/railties-3.0.10/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:44:in `start'
    from /Users/me/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p180/gems/railties-3.0.10/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:8:in `start'
    from /Users/me/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p180/gems/railties-3.0.10/lib/rails/commands.rb:23:in `<top (required)>'
    from script/rails:6:in `require'
    from script/rails:6:in `<main>'

EDIT:

Thanks guys, now I get it.

Is there a way to do what I wanted without doing using respond_to?, such that User.try(:something) returns nil instead of throwing the error?