Enter the Philosophy

Back in the days, I’d sit quietly, tense with concentration as I watched his high speed martial arts moves on those scratchy, buzzing celluloid film prints projected in black and white on a hall wall. The crowd would woo and clap at every stunt and superb blow delivery. I’d listen to every word he said and I knew that beneath this character, beyond all the action, Bruce Lee was a philosopher – a skilful orator and a man of wisdom. Earlier today I posted on Facebook one his greatest quotes, one that inspires me a lot. I thought I should now share with you some of his inspirational thoughts. Here we go:

“Be formless... shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You pour water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or creep or drip or crash! Be water, my friend...” Bruce Lee.  

“Real living is living for others,” Bruce Lee.  

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind,” Bruce Lee.  

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect,” Bruce Lee.   

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable,” Bruce Lee.

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them,” Bruce Lee.   

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times,” Bruce Lee.   

“Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one's potential,” Bruce Lee.   

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it,” Bruce Lee.   

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer,” Bruce Lee.   

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at,” Bruce Lee.