Striking Thoughts

Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living is an unparalleled volume of Lee's own writings on the wisdom that he used to shape his extraordinary life. Editor John Little, in the tradition of Tuttle's other Bruce Lee Library titles, uses his unprecedented access to Lee's writings to cull the words of the legendary martial artist, actor, and philosopher into this soulful, personal collection.Striking Thoughts is a diverse record of the thoughts and observations that Bruce Lee put on paper in his lifelong quest for self knowledge. A voracious reader, Lee's personal thoughts on life are a unique blend of traditional eastern traditions and modern western ideals. John Little distills the essence of Lee's writings on all aspects of life, including Existence, Achievement, Art, and Personal Liberation. Consider some of Lee's elegant thoughts.
Editor
Granted exclusive access to Lee's personal notes, sketches, and readings, John Little is the world's preeminent authority on Bruce Lee and his work.
Content
Part from Striking Thoughts by Bruce Lee
On Being Human:
Human beings are integrators. We do not analyze, we integrate.
The human goal is to actualize oneself.
On Ideas:
Four idea principles:
Find a human need, and unsolved problem.
Master all the essentials of the problem.
See the problem in a new way, give a new "twist" to the problem.
Believe in your ideas--and act!
An idea emotionalized becomes physical.
On Teaching:
Teaching requires a sensitive mind with great flexibility. Above all, a teacher does not depend on a method and drill systematic routines. Instead he studies each individual student and awakens him to explore himself, both internally and externally, and ultimately integrates himself with his being. Such teaching, which is really no teaching, requires a sensitive mind with great flexibility, and is difficult to come by nowadays.
A teacher is a pointer to the truth, not a giver of truth. He applies a minimum of form, to lead his students to the formless. Further, he points out the importance of being able to enter a mold, without being imprisoned by it, or to follow the principles without being bound by them.
A good teacher cannot be fixed in a routine. He must not impose a student to fit a lifeless pattern, a preformulation.
A good teacher protects his teacher from his own influence. It is easy to teach one to be skillful, but it is difficult to teach him his own attitude. Each moment during teaching requires a full alert and sensitive mind that is constantly adjusting and constantly changing.
The ideal teacher-not what to think, but how to think.
Six principle steps of teaching:
Maintaining their complete attention,
Promoting thinking via discussions, many questions, lecture,
Creating a clear picture of material to be learned
Developing comprehension of the significance, the implications, and the practical applications of the material,
Repetition of these steps until learning takes place.
Teaching is a direct relationship. I never seek to try to teach masses of people.
Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.
Without freedom, there can be no creativity, and no art.
The more complicated the method, the lesser the opportunity for the expression of one's original sense of freedom
Self interests and walls of discipline are barriers to freedom.
Most of us see ourselves as instruments in the hands of others.. There is a powerful craving in most of us to see ourselves as instruments in the hands of others and thus free ourselves from the responsibility for acts which are prompted by our own questionable inclinations and impulses. Both the strong and the weak grasp at this alibi. The latter hide their malevolence under the virtue of obedience; they acted dishonorably because they had to obey orders. The strong, too, claim absolution by proclaiming themselves the chosen instrument of a higher power-God, history, fate, nation, or humanity.
Self actualization is the highest state. Being grounded in oneself is about the highest state a human can achieve....
On Truth: the problem is never apart from the answer. The problem is the answer. The understanding of the problem is the dissolution of the problem. It is a mistake to think that one can establish a universal definition for verification... In order to see the truth, one must see the totality.
On learning and Wisdom: drop all your preconceived conclusions behind and open yourself to everything and everyone. Remember, the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness.
To know, but to be as though not knowing, is the highest stage of wisdom.
Review
Reader Reviews
"Before finding this book I was unaware of Bruce Lee's work in Philosophy. I am a Phil major myself, and I found the balance of western and eastern thought refreshing. A lot of Philosophy is grouped in long wordy essays that make it somewhat a stratified ivory tower type of field. Lee's book is organzied in easy to read, simple koans, proverbs and sayings.To one who has read a great deal of Buddhism, Psychology, or Eastern thought, they may read a lot of what they may have already read. But this book doesn't disappoint, there are some quality nuggets in here. Bruce says much in few words, his eloquence can be stunning & profound.Although I'm not really into martial arts or anything like that I always revered him in a certain light, in fitness, command, and eloquence. Worth a read, I have new respect for Bruce Lee." -Don Gunn
"Bruce Lee Striking Thoughts is a Great book that can help you get through any day...bruce lee shows you the way.....this book is for anybody from warrior to worker....this book challenges your human nature....accept the challenge!!!!!!" -Sergio Smith

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