Be An Action Hero: The Philosophy of Bruce Lee | Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee | TEDxLimassol
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, a child of Bruce Lee, reflects on the multifaceted heroism of his father, who was not only a martial arts icon but also an innovator in fitness, health, and film. Lee's impact extended beyond his physical prowess and signature moves to his ability to break barriers in Hollywood and elevate the status of Asian men globally. The speaker outlines a 'recipe' for heroism that Bruce Lee once wrote, emphasizing the importance of self-cultivation, sincerity, and extending one's knowledge. The essence of being a hero, according to the speaker, involves spiritual realization, personal effort aligned with one's heart, and living in harmony with the world, making a positive impact without seeking reward or praise. The speaker encourages everyone to tap into their inner power, be true to themselves, and express their uniqueness to the world, just as Bruce Lee did, leaving a lasting legacy.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Bruce Lee is viewed as a hero for his innovative contributions to fitness, health, martial arts, and action films.
- 💪 He brought realism to fight choreography and broke barriers as the first Asian leading man in Hollywood, raising the profile of Asian men globally.
- 📚 Lee was a teacher and philosopher whose messages and philosophies have inspired countless people to change their lives.
- 🦸♂️ His physical appearance and abilities, including signature moves and a signature weapon, contributed to his superhero-like image.
- 💌 Lee's own words provide a 'recipe' for being an action hero, emphasizing self-cultivation, sincerity, and extending knowledge.
- 🧘♂️ Spiritual realization, or 'don't just think, feel', was a key phrase Lee used, indicating the importance of being in touch with one's inner energy and potential.
- 💭 Personal effort is crucial, with Lee stressing the importance of aligning one's thoughts, heart, and actions, and seeking self-knowledge.
- 🌈 Harmony is essential, and Lee believed in operating in unity with nature and the world, making a positive impact without competition or aggression.
- 🌟 A hero, according to Lee, is someone who expresses their heart and acts with sincerity and connected harmony, making a unique and positive impact on the world.
- 🔥 Lee's legacy endures because he started from his core self and expressed his uniqueness, inspiring others to do the same.
- 🚀 The message encourages everyone to tap into their own hearts, express themselves, and make a difference in the world, just as Lee did.
Q & A
Why is Bruce Lee considered a hero by the speaker?
-The speaker considers Bruce Lee a hero because he was their father, but also acknowledges his heroic status due to his innovative contributions to fitness, health, martial arts, and action films, as well as breaking barriers in Hollywood and inspiring countless people with his philosophies.
How did Bruce Lee bring realism to fight choreography?
-Bruce Lee introduced a more realistic approach to fight choreography during a time when it was not the standard, enhancing the authenticity of action sequences in films.
What was Bruce Lee's message to his students?
-Bruce Lee was a teacher who helped change the lives of his students by sharing his philosophies and teachings, which focused on self-improvement, sincerity, and extending one's knowledge.
What does the speaker believe is the 'recipe' for an action hero according to Bruce Lee's own words?
-The speaker refers to a letter Bruce Lee wrote, where he outlined steps for personal development and heroism, emphasizing sincerity, self-knowledge, and aligning one's actions with their heart and mind.
How did Bruce Lee's physical appearance contribute to his superhero-like image?
-Bruce Lee's physical appearance, including his muscular physique, signature moves, sounds, and even a signature weapon, contributed to his superhero-like image, making him appear as a fighter with almost superhuman power and strength.
What is the first step the speaker suggests to access one's own heroism?
-The first step is spiritual realization or 'don't think, feel,' which involves getting in touch with one's inner energy, potential, and will to live.
What does the speaker mean by 'personal effort' in the context of becoming a hero?
-Personal effort involves aligning one's actions with their heart and thoughts, seeking self-knowledge, and making a conscious effort to live authentically and in accordance with one's values.
How does the concept of 'harmony' play a role in the speaker's view of heroism?
-Harmony is the third step towards heroism, where one operates in unity with nature and humanity, making a positive impact without competition or aggression, and following the will of nature.
What does the speaker believe is the key to achieving peace of mind?
-Achieving peace of mind comes from performing one's own mission in life without thoughts of aggressiveness, competition, seeking reward, praise, or fearing blame, and by being in harmony with oneself and the world.
Why is Bruce Lee still talked about 42 years after his passing?
-Bruce Lee is still remembered and talked about because he started from the root of his being, expressing himself sincerely, and making a unique impact on the world through his passion and dedication.
What does the speaker suggest as a method for everyone to become a hero?
-The speaker suggests that everyone can become a hero by tapping into their own hearts, expressing themselves from a place of sincerity, and making a positive impact on the world in areas they are passionate about.
Outlines
🌟 Bruce Lee's Heroic Legacy
The speaker, presumably Bruce Lee's child, acknowledges the bias of considering their father a hero but outlines several reasons why others might share this view. Bruce Lee is recognized for his innovative contributions to fitness, health, martial arts, and action films. He introduced realism to fight choreography and broke barriers as the first Asian leading man in Hollywood, elevating the status of Asian men globally. As a teacher, he influenced the lives of his students and inspired countless others through his philosophies. The speaker also highlights Bruce Lee's iconic appearance and abilities, suggesting that his external image and achievements are a reflection of his inner heroism. They reference a letter written by Bruce Lee, which they interpret as a 'recipe' for becoming an action hero, emphasizing self-cultivation, sincerity, and the expansion of knowledge.
🔥 Tapping into Personal Potential
The speaker delves into the first step of Bruce Lee's 'recipe' for heroism, which involves a spiritual or emotional realization of one's inner power. They share a personal anecdote about practicing an acceptance speech in childhood, indicating a belief in one's own potential and creativity. The importance of aligning one's actions with their heart and thoughts is emphasized, as is the challenge of doing so. Bruce Lee's personal efforts and desires at the age of 21 are discussed, illustrating how he knew where to focus his efforts despite uncertainty. The speaker encourages the audience to make their own list to discover where their personal efforts should be directed.
🌈 Achieving Harmony and Heroism
The final paragraph focuses on the third step towards heroism: harmony. The speaker interprets Bruce Lee's philosophy of oneness with the world and the importance of living in harmony with nature and other people. They explain that a hero operates by making a positive impact and engages in change for the greater good voluntarily. The speaker also discusses the concept of discarding thoughts of reward, praise, and blame, suggesting that a hero acts from the heart and is in tune with the ecosystem. They conclude by emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself, as exemplified by Bruce Lee, and encourage others to express their unique power and make an impact on the world.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Innovator
💡Martial Arts
💡Hollywood
💡Philosophies
💡Spiritual Realization
💡Personal Effort
💡Harmony
💡Hero
💡Self-Knowledge
💡Expression
Highlights
Bruce Lee is considered a hero and an innovator in various fields such as fitness, health, martial arts, and action film.
He brought realism to fight choreography at a time when it was not the norm.
Bruce Lee was the first Asian leading man in Hollywood, breaking barriers for Asian actors.
He helped raise the profile of Asian men globally and inspired countless people with his philosophies.
Bruce Lee's physical appearance and abilities contributed to his superhero-like image.
His heroism is attributed to his personal development and philosophical approach to life.
Lee outlined a 'recipe' for an action hero in a letter, emphasizing self-cultivation and sincerity.
He believed in aligning one's inner thoughts with outer expression without contradiction.
Lee's approach to life involved spiritual realization, personal effort, and harmony with the world.
At 21, Lee recognized a great creative and spiritual force within himself, which he described as greater than faith, ambition, or vision.
Lee's personal effort was directed towards self-knowledge and aligning his actions with his heart.
Harmony, according to Lee, involves operating in the world by making a positive impact and being in tune with nature and humanity.
Lee's goal was to find the true meaning in life and achieve peace of mind, which he believed was possible through harmony and sincerity.
He encouraged others to be themselves and express their uniqueness, rather than copying others.
Lee's legacy continues to inspire because he started from the root of his being and expressed his heart's desires into the world.
The speaker suggests that everyone has the potential to be a hero by tapping into their own hearts and expressing themselves.
The concept of a hero is redefined as someone who acts from a place of sincerity and connected harmony, making a positive impact on the world.
Transcripts
thank you everyone
bruce lee is considered a hero and
arguably so of course i think he's a
hero because he's my dad and but i may
be a little biased but bruce lee did a
lot of heroic things we can see what
those things are here we are standing 42
years after he passed away and we can
look back and we can say he was an
innovator he was an innovator in the
world of fitness in the world of health
in the world of martial arts in the
world of action film he brought realism
to fight choreography at a time when
that was not the case he was a person
who broke barriers in Hollywood becoming
the first Asian leading man in Hollywood
he was a person who helped raise the
profile of Asian men around the world he
was a person with a message he was a
teacher he helped change lives of his
students and he's inspired countless
people since then with his philosophies
so he's done many heroic things we can
all see that and let's not forget he
looked like this he looked like a
superhero he is wearing a graphic
one-piece costume he is a fighter with
almost superhero power and strength and
speed he had signature moves he had
signature sounds he even had a signature
weapon but if you ought to ask me why do
I think Bruce Lee as a hero and people
do ask me that it's for a very different
reason actually I think all of those
things all of the way that he looked and
all the things he accomplished in his
life are the results of where his true
heroism came from so when I think about
what makes Bruce Lee a hero I think
about his own words so he wrote at one
point in time
as a young man a letter to a friend of
his and in that he laid down what I'm
going to call the recipe for an action
hero he said in that letter wishing to
cultivate yourself first rectify your
heart wishing to rectify your heart seek
to be sincere in your thoughts wishing
to be sincere in your thoughts first
extend to the utmost of your knowledge
this lies in the investigation of things
then discard all thoughts of reward all
hopes of praise and fears of blame all
awareness of one's bodily self and let
your spirit out as it will pretty cool
but what does it mean it's kind of hard
to penetrate right it's kind of hard to
take in and apply to yourself so I have
taken these thoughts and I've broken
them down into three simple steps so
that we all can see how we might be able
to access our own hero step one and this
is his word that he used as well
spiritual realization sounds kind of out
there so I'm going to use another phrase
of his which is don't think feel at the
age of twenty-one so think about that
he's 21 years old he's a college student
he's trying to figure out what he wants
to do with his life he loves martial
arts he's teaching gongfu lessons to
some people he wrote a letter again
another letter at the age of 21 to a
family friend and in that he said I feel
I have this great creative and spiritual
force within me that is greater than
faith greater than ambition greater than
vision it is all these combined my brain
becomes magnetized with this dominating
force which I hold in my hand whether it
is the Godhead or not I feel this great
force this untapped power this dynamic
something within
this feeling defies description and no
experience with this feeling may be
compared it is something like a strong
emotion mixed with faith but a lot
stronger now what does that mean that
means he can feel something inside
himself he's in touch with his energy
he's in touch with his potential so how
do we do that we can look inside and we
can get in touch with that place that is
our will to live we can get in touch
with that part of us that gets excited
about something that part of us that
dreams that part of us that loves and we
can feel inside of us that energy and we
can feel that we have a dynamic
something as well an untapped power when
I was a kid I used to sit in my bathtub
and I used to practice my Academy Awards
acceptance speech now I don't have an
Academy Award yet but why was I doing
that what was I doing I was reaching
inside and I was tapping into my
creativity the fact that I might have
something to contribute that I might in
some way be special and that's all step
one is just feel inside yourself get in
touch with your heart step two personal
effort yes unfortunately there's effort
involved and as my father would say all
types of knowledge ultimately mean self
knowledge so remember he said first
rectify your heart that was step one
then he said be sincere in your thoughts
and extend to the utmost of your
knowledge so where do we place our
personal effort he also said man's mind
and behavior are one your inner thoughts
and outer expression cannot contradict
each other now we all know how hard that
is right how many times have you said
yes when you really wanted to say
No or you've decided to do something
because someone else said that it was a
good idea it's really hard to align your
heart with your thoughts with your
actions out into the world that takes
effort he said in that letter at the age
of 21 a list of things that he knew
about himself just happened to feel
these things inside of himself and he
said I'd like to let the world know
about the greatness of Chinese martial
arts I enjoy teaching and helping people
I like to have a well-to-do home and
family
I'd like to originate something now here
he is at 21 he doesn't know how he's
going to do this but he just knows he
wants to he just knows that that's where
he should start putting his personal
effort that's the type of knowledge he
should start to gain that's the
investigation he should do now why is it
so hard to be who we are it's because
it's uncharted territory there's no one
to tell you whether you're right are you
doing it right there's no one to say
whether you're on the right path you
have only yourself you have only
yourself to believe in and to have faith
in but it is where you put your personal
effort in alignment with your heart that
is the next step so check in with your
heart make your own list and see where
you should start to put your effort step
number three now step number three to me
is actually the most important step it's
really where the heroism comes in and
that is harmony as my father said under
the sky under the heavens there's but
one family now what does this mean it
means that in that same
letter age 21 where he's saying I want
to do all these things have this
untapped power he said the goal of my
planning and doing is to find the true
meaning in life peace of mind now you
can have peace of mind if you're always
in judgment you can't have peace of mind
if you're going around telling everybody
else they're doing it wrong he said also
you have only to perform your own
mission in life without any thoughts of
aggressiveness or competition follow the
will of nature and coordinate your will
and your mind to become one with nature
now it's easy to think of nature as the
earth as the sky as the water the trees
the animals that's nature but let us not
forget that man is also a huge and
integral part of nature and so to be
able to operate the hero operates by
making a positive impact the hero
engages in this voluntarily because it
comes from their heart the hero causes
change for a greater good so you don't
have to worry about what everybody else
is doing just be in harmony with man
with nature and with the world it's all
one system so I like to change that last
part that last part of his recipe to
discard all thoughts of reward all hopes
of praise and fears of blame all
awareness of one's bodily self has
separate from the ecosystem and let your
hero out as it will as I was doing
research on giving this talk I looked up
the word hero and I said what images
come up when I see the word hero and
this one image came up and I thought yes
this is the quintessential hero image
right Superman pulling back his shirt
and
feeling his identity and I thought yes
that's exactly it that is exactly what
we should be doing it's like this we're
opening our hearts and we're acting from
that place so to me a hero is one who
beams his or her heart out into the
world and acts from a place of beautiful
sincerity and connected harmony or as my
father said in his own words when I look
around I always learn something that is
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 them like they
always copy mannerisms but they never
thought from the very least of it being
and that is how can I be
move out
this is why we're still talking about
Bruce Lee 42 years after he passed away
this is why there will never be another
Bruce Lee because he started from the
very root of his being and he asked how
can I be me and he operated from that
place of his heart and what he wanted to
create out in the world and he gave it
to us he expressed that out into the
world we've seen so many people on this
stage today who are doing exactly that
they're being heroes they are operating
out in the world through what they care
about through what they're passionate
about and they're looking to make an
impact so I say this is what we all can
do this is how we too can touch into our
own hearts and express out into the
world and be uniquely that dominating
power which we all hold in our own hands
thank
you
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