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Favourite quotes (21448)

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

It is futile to argue as to which single leaf, which design of branch, or which attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoming.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 11

“The Moment is freedom.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

I couldn't live by a rigid schedule. I try to live freely from moment to moment, letting things happen and adjusting to them.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 13

“Conditioning obstructs our view of reality.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

We do not see IT in its suchness because of our indoctrination, crooked and twisted.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 19

“Liberate yourself from concepts and see the truth with your own eyes.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

It exists HERE and NOW; it requires only one thing to see it: openness, freedom — the freedom to be open and not tethered by any ideas, concepts, etc. … When our mind is tranquil, there will be an occasional pause to its feverish activities, there will be a let-go, and it is only then in the interval between two thoughts that a flash of UNDERSTANDING — understanding, which is not thought — can take place.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 43

“Balance your thoughts with action.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 43

“Concepts vs. self-actualization.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Instead of dedicating your life to actualize a concept of what you should be like, ACTUALIZE YOURSELF. The process of maturing does not mean to become a captive of conceptualization. It is to come to the realization of what lies in our innermost selves.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 44

“Don't fear failure.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 121

“Whether or not we can get together, remember well that art “lives” where absolute freedom is. With all the training thrown to nowhere, with a mind (if there is such a verbal substance) perfectly unaware of its own working, with the “self” vanishing nowhere, the art of JKD attains its perfection.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Source: The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee (1996), p. 156

“Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely — lay your life before him.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

As quoted in Bruce Lee: Artist of Life (1999) edited by John R. Little, p. 192

“Walk on.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Source: The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee (1996), p. 174

“When I look around I always learn something, and that is to be yourself always, express yourself, and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him. Now that seems to be the prevalent thing happening in Hong Kong, like they always copy mannerism, but they never start from the root of his being and that is, how can I be me?”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Bruce Lee

“Know the difference between a catastrophe and an inconvenience.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

To realize that it's just an inconvenience, that it is not a catastrophe, but just an unpleasantness, is part of coming into your own, part of waking up.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 120

“The change is from inner to outer.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

We start by dissolving our attitude not by altering outer conditions.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 120

“Cease negative mental chattering.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

If you think a thing is impossible, you'll make it impossible. Pessimism blunts the tools you need to succeed.
Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 121

“When I look around, I always learn something: to be always yourself, and to express yourself, to have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Radio interview with Ted Thomas (1972) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la_D3oF5H_A

“Revolutionize your mind. ”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

“None whatsoever.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

When asked what major religion he was affiliated with in 1972 by journalist Alex Ben Block, p. 128
The Warrior Within : The Philosophies of Bruce Lee (1996)

“To contemplate a thing implies maintaining oneself OUTSIDE it, resolved to keep a distance between it and ourselves.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Source: The Warrior Within : The Philosophies of Bruce Lee (1996), p. 30

“As an instructor, you must be able to distinguish between poor performance caused by lack of ability or aptitude on the part of the student and poor performance caused by lack of effort. You should treat the first with patience and the latter with firmness. You must never apply sarcasm and ridicule.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Part 5 "On training in Jeet Kune Do"
Jeet Kune Do (1997)

“The aphorism "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" contains the secret of life.”

Bruce Lee (1940–1973) Hong Kong-American actor, martial artist, philosopher and filmmaker

Source: Striking Thoughts (2000), p. 4; Lee here quotes Proverbs 23:7 "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he."