Be Water
The now iconic quote is often cited as a philosophy of adaptability and flexibility, reflecting Bruce Lee’s approach to martial arts and life in general.
Bruce Lee (1940–1973) 李小龍 was a martial artist, actor, director and philosopher. Born in San Francisco and raised in what was then British Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father.
His films included The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973).
Lee is widely regarded as being the most influential martial artist of all time, and a pop culture icon who bridged the gap between East and West. He is credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films. In contrast to earlier stereotypes, which depicted Asian men as emasculated, childlike, coolies or domestic servants, Lee demonstrated that Asian men could be “tough, strong and sexy” according to University of Michigan lecturer Hye Seung Chung. In turn, Lee’s popularity inspired a new Asian stereotype, the martial artist.
TIME magazine named Lee one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
While best known as a martial artist, Lee studied drama and Asian and Western philosophy at the University of Washington.
In 1971 Lee was being interviewed on television for The Pierre Berton Show and during that interview he delivered these lines in a very martial artsy and charismatic way:
“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.”
The now iconic quote is often cited as a philosophy of adaptability and flexibility, reflecting Lee’s approach to martial arts and life in general. When Lee says to be “formless”, he means that people shouldn’t allow themselves to be trapped in a certain mindset. Instead, a person should be able to adapt to situations, grow and change; thereby adopting the qualities of water.
As a metaphor to explain the self-sustaining skill of radical adaptability, it ain’t bad.
Be water my friend.
Story Idea: Richard Hsu
