What Would Bruce Do?
The tagline for this blog, “use what works, discard the rest” sounds like a pretty self-centered line. It’s actually a shorthand for a quote from Bruce Lee: “Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.”
Another quote from Bruce Lee is more descriptive, and it’s in the context of martial arts:
The truth in combat is different for each individual.
Research your own experiences for the truth.
Absorb what is useful.
Reject what is useless.
Add what is specifically your own.
Man, the creating individual, is more important than any style or system.
For those who are familiar with the latest craze of mixed martial arts, Bruce Lee can be considered the founder! He actively promoted the idea of using all the useful techniques from many different styles and adapting it to suit the individual. When he promoted this idea, it was sacrilegious! If you learned Karate, you had to wholly adopt the particular style of Karate you chose - you had to conform to that specific system, whether it be Shotokan, Kenpo, or whatever. Same with Kung Fu, Jiu Jitsu, etc…. There was no intermingling of styles - it seemed like a violation of fundamental principals. Bruce Lee was the first to embrace the mix.
When it comes to personal development, a popular system is the Law of Attraction, and this supposedly is the basis for The Secret. From what I read about both systems, I just don’t get it. I know that the power of positive thinking is real, but it just seems like these systems take it over the top. However, I know a ton of people swear by it! I didn’t get much use from the Law of Attraction, but clearly that’s not to say that it is useless. There are also people that feel that the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is useless, and I will admit that I am one of its biggest fans. If you don’t agree, then I understand - it won’t work on everyone. In all honesty, I’d say 3-4 of the habits are natural to me and I just skimmed over those chapters, while the other 3-4 habits were great reads. I’m simply doing what Bruce Lee would do.
The source of the quotes are from Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit by Bruce Thomas.
Al at 7P
Mitcehll Allen
Ron Hitson
Chris | Martial Development
I judge personal development books by whether they resonate with me and speak to my experience. Covey’s 7 Habits is a great book if you choose to make it a way of life. His book The 8th Habit is even better.
I think the Law of Attraction has some validity, but it doesn’t guide me as to how I wish to be in the world, which I thnk is the power of Covey’s writing. Timing is also a big factor in whether or not a personal development approach works for a person. I read the 7 Habits at the right time..
This concept is at the heart of David Allen’s Getting Things Done, as well. Find the system that works for you, and just lay the workflow method over it. Simple, effective, and building on your own strengths and practices.
Galba: Yes, agreed about the point regarding timing. I think the right message for the right person may not get acknowledged if the timing is not right for the person. When 7 Habits came out, I thought it was a bunch of hot air, but after a few years I opened up my ears and now I’m one of its biggest fans
Stephen - I heard about Getting Things Done but don’t know much about it. Maybe it will be the next “7 Habits” for me! I’ll follow up with David Allen’s work.
To be honest, Bruce Lee was not the originator of MMA. Bad instructors like to pretend that “faithfulness to a style” is a traditional Asian standard, because this myth allows them to exert control over their students. The history of Chinese martial arts tells a different story.
Wow, your link about Bruce Lee really killed my buzz
It probably is a stretch to say he was the originator of MMA, but to a lot of people he was the first to advocate mixing of styles.
By the way, you have a cool site! You now have a new subscriber
[…] yourself and you understand the enemy you cannot be defeated.” I’m a big fan of using what works from different styles. To extend this quote for personal development, my enemies are my bad […]