Bruce Lee was a legendary martial artist but did you know that he was also a great philosopher ? I did not…
I chanced upon this Bruce Lee’s wax figure at the Sentosa’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and momentarily wondered what exactly made Bruce such a legend. I had watched Bruce Lee movies when I was a child and could only remember him as a movie superstar famous for his extraordinary martial art skills… nothing more.
It triggered my curiosity enough to Google research and there are so many articles and videos about him. But it is this Youtube video, a 25 minutes “Bruce Lee interview with Pierre Berton Show 1971” that really inspired me. This interview blew me away and helped me see a completely different side of Bruce Lee.
His depth of thinking was so incredibly ahead of his time and listening to him really changes the perspective on life. Martial arts was deeply rooted in his life, not just as an actor or a martial artist, but also as a human being.
His philosophy of life are still so relevant even today, after 48 years. I encourage you to watch the full video but let me share a couple of quotes that resonate with me the most.
1. “…all types of knowledge ultimately means self knowledge” … when asked about his Hollywood Martial Art training school approach and the secret to his success. He explained that martial arts is to honestly express oneself; and that it is easy to put up a show and be very cocky about it but to express oneself honestly and not lying to yourself, very hard to do…needs a lot of training.
Whatever we learn and however we train, understanding ourselves and expressing it truthfully is the characteristic of true learning. True learning instills human values like truth; righteous conduct; patience; humility; love; etc.. I like the way he expressed on how one could become a mechanical man, no longer a human being, if technique control is taken to the extreme without a balance touch of the human heart.
2. “…the hard part is the feeling and meaning behind those words” … when he talked about learning a new language and culture.
Imagine the danger of reacting to what you hear, without listening and understanding what brought on the expressions and feelings behind those words…
3. “…empty your mind, be formless and shapeless like water”… when he talked about learning and practising.
Having a clear mind, the willingness to adapt to changes and not be boxed into a fixed mindset is so relevant in today’s complex world… Keep flowing and expressing yourself as part of the process of continuous growth.
4. “…he thinks of himself as a human being” … when asked if he sees himself as an American or a Chinese.
In recent times, there have been so many conflicts and unrest due to racism and nationalism … I can imagine it being much worse during Bruce’s time and his reply demonstrated such pure wisdom and grace.
Bruce was so articulate, humble, wise and graceful in the interview. In his short but eventful life, he left behind a legacy that is still very much alive after 48 years and won the hearts of fans around the world.
I believe the heart and soul of this success is center around his philosophy of life and the power of balance approach with martial arts. Balance approach, a side of life most of us have unfortunately neglected for too long.
Lyn 🌻😊
Be water, my friend!
Can’t agree with your article more! Be like water!
Yes keep it flowing …
Big nuggets of wisdom. Wow, did not know Bruce Lee had such deep thoughts. Will definitely go watch the video. Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom !
Not me too… worth every minute, i watched it a few times 🙂
Wow. I m a fan of Bruce lee but I m not aware is also a man with wisdom
Well done. Lyn.
Your articles empower my knowledge again
Tks
Me too, quite awakening right… and his interview video is worth every minute of time watching 🙂
‘under the blue sky there is one family’ . When the sun rises and shines over the family, some sleep under the sun longer than the others. Therefore, we have human beings of all colours.
Absolutely, this one is so profound… but unfortunately the interviewer just seemed to have suddenly cut short, would have love to hear more his thoughts !
The power of balance… I agree completely… And one must defined one’s own balance…
Great point Yam !
Thanks for sharing. Will definitely go watch the interview. But this post clearly shows your curiosity too! Wonderful!
Yes always the curious me 🙂 .. so happy with this discovery, so much to learn from Bruce’s wisdom !
Hi Lyn, great sharing about Bruce Lee’s philosophies to help us deal with life. Well said. We can learn and draw some inspirations from him. I also like a couple of his philosophical quotes:
Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
If u love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of. Live life worth remembering.
Always express yourself and have faith in yourself.
Learn what is useful, discard what is not.
Yes there were so many inspirational quotes that are even more relevant in today’s confusing and complex world … and no short cut, all hard work to make it work for us.