“Be Water, My Friend”

Part 2: Bruce Lee’s simple recommendation on how to adapt to any situation.

Jeff Valdivia

--

Photo by Man Chung on Unsplash

This is part two of a three-part series on Bruce Lee that examines an aspect of his philosophy of life. Part 1 focuses on overcoming obstacles. Part 2 focuses on adapting to your circumstances. Part 3 focuses on the benefits of emptying your mind.

Bruce Lee is considered one of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century, especially in North America. In the early 1970s, his movies kickstarted a martial arts revolution. The martial art he developed, Jeet Kune Do, is credited with forming the foundation of mixed martial arts (MMA).

But, he wasn’t just a movie star and martial artist. He was a philosopher, too. He said:

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

His words sound esoteric, but their meaning can be quite practical. Lee recommends we be less rigid in our thinking so that we cling less to preconceived notions of how the world works and more open to new ideas and possibilities. If we can, we’ll uncover truths about ourselves and the world that…

--

--

Jeff Valdivia

Following my curiosity and hoping it will lead me to wisdom. I write about psychology, meditation, self-development, and spirituality.