Martial Arts Wisdom: 90+ Bruce Lee Quotes on Life and Success

Bruce Lee was an influential figure, and while I can’t provide an exhaustive list of every single quote attributed to him, here’s a collection that encompasses a broad range of his thoughts and philosophies:

1. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water.”- Bruce lee
2. “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
3. “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
4. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
5. “Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.”
6. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
7. “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
8. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
9. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
10. “The more we value things, the less we value ourselves.”
11. “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”-Bruce lee
12. “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
13. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
14. “Be like water, my friend.”
15. “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”
16. “The more we value things, the less we value ourselves.”
17. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
18. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water.”
19. “Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.”
20. “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.”
21. “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”-Bruce lee
22. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
23. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
24. “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”
25. “In the middle of chaos lies opportunity.”
26. “Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”
27. “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
28. “The medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning, but I did not take it. My ailment came from within myself, but I did not observe it until this moment.”
29. “To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.”
30. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
31. “The moment is freedom. I couldn’t live by a rigid schedule. I try to live freely from moment to moment, letting things happen and adjusting to them.”-Bruce lee
32. “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
33. “It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”
34. “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.”
35. “Real living is living for others.”
36. “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”
37. “Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”
38. “Be self-aware, rather than a repetitious robot.”
39. “I’m moving and not moving at all. I’m like the moon underneath the waves that ever go on rolling and rocking.”
40. “Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water.”
41. “As you think, so shall you become.”-Bruce lee
42. “The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominating thought habits.”
43. “It’s not what you give, it’s the way you give it.”
44. “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.”
45. “To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself—that, my friend, is very hard to do.”
46. “There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there; you must go beyond them.”
47. “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
48. “If you don’t want to slip up tomorrow, speak the truth today.”
49. “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.”
50. “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”
51. “A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”-Bruce lee
52. “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.”
53. “Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
54. “It is not a shame to be knocked down by other people. The important thing is to ask when you’re being knocked down, ‘Why am I being knocked down?’ If a person can reflect in this way, then there is hope for this person.”
55. “Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”
56. “The word ‘superstar’ is an illusion.”
57. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
58. “The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
59. “Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.”
60. “Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth.”
61. “To spend time is to pass it in a specified manner. To waste time is to expend it thoughtlessly or carelessly.”-Bruce lee
62. “To grow, to discover, we need involvement which is something I experience every day, sometimes good, sometimes not so good.”
63. “To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.”
64. “All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
65. “Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself.”
66. “What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become.”
67. “A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.”
68. “The height of cultivation runs to simplicity.”
69. “Don’t get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water.”
70. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
71. “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”-Bruce lee
72. “If you don’t want to slip up tomorrow, speak the truth today.”
73. “Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”
74. “The word ‘superstar’ is an illusion.”
75. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
76. “The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
77. “Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.”
78. “To spend time is to pass it in a specified manner. To waste time is to expend it thoughtlessly or carelessly.”
79. “To grow, to discover, we need involvement which is something I experience every day, sometimes good, sometimes not so good.”
80. “To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.”
81. “All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”-Bruce lee
82. “Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself.”
83. “What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become.”
84. “A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.”
85. “The height of cultivation runs to simplicity.”
86. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
87. “Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick.”
88. “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
89. “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
90. “Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind, for they are the weeds that strangle confidence.”
91. “To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”-Bruce lee
92. “Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.”
93. “I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged. I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach.”
94. “I have come to discover through earnest personal experience and dedicated learning that ultimately the greatest help is self-help.”
95. “In order to control myself, I must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature.”

Bruce Lee’s Path to Success: More Quotes to Guide You:

1. “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water.”
2. “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”
3. “The more we value things, the less we value ourselves.”
4. “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.”
5. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
6. “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
7. “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
8. “A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
9. “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
10. “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
11. “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
12. “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
13. “It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”
14. “Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
15. “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
16. “Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”
17. “Real living is living for others.”
18. “Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.”
19. “In the middle of chaos lies opportunity.”
20. “The possession of anything begins in the mind.”
21. “To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”
22. “The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominating thought habits.”
23. “Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick.”
24. “The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.”
25. “As you think, so shall you become.”

Bruce Lee’s timeless wisdom inspires greatness, fostering resilience and adaptability. His quotes, a beacon of motivation, resonate across disciplines. For an enriched reservoir of such profound insights, delve into Wizdom. Download our app, embark on a journey through profound thoughts, and fuel your daily life with Bruce Lee’s enduring wisdom.