Bruce Lee’s Seven Fundamentals Of Adaptation

When Bruce Lee started getting the lead role in popular movies, he became famous all over the world. This actor was a martial arts talent and more than just a Hollywood macho. From a very young age he grew up in Hong Kong and in the Eastern schools of thought. That is why he was also known as a philosopher and author himself. He received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Washington. Bruce Lee has given seven lectures on adaptation. In this article we want to discuss them.

He was also an important figure for sparking interest in martial arts among people in the West. Bruce Lee was a very charismatic person. He soon became a role model for many. Every interview with him was a magical moment of wisdom.

One of the most powerful interviews was the last he gave. It was only recently released in 2007. Lee spoke about the great importance of the concept of adaptability. He summed up his ideas in a famous statement: “Be water, my friend.” We want to discuss here his intriguing vision in seven fundamentals.

1. According to Bruce Lee, change is natural

In the West, we learn that we must choose our goals, achieve them and remain successful. But we are usually totally unprepared for the great losses that life brings. That’s why we complain when what once was is now over. We also do it when something that was here is no longer with us.

Bruce Lee stressed the importance of understanding that nothing stays the same. Everything is constantly in motion and constantly changing. By resisting this reality we only cause suffering. Understanding that everything changes is the building block for adaptation.

2. Reality is more important than beliefs

At the end of the day, reality prevails, not our beliefs over reality. Often we are surprised by something that happens. We don’t think it should have happened that way. This shows that we think that reality should correspond to our beliefs and not the other way around. Because really, our principles should be based on reality.

It is impossible to understand reality in a completely objective and truthful way. We always “translate” the sensory information. So it will always have a margin of error. When something happens that we thought unimaginable, reality shows how wrong we are.

3. Bruce Lee on Adaptation: Creation Comes from Destruction

Reality flows along with its own wisdom. When something ends or is destroyed, this is also the beginning of something new. Something is destroyed because its time is up. His cycle is coming to an end. But we should not see this process as something negative.

To continue, people or objects must disappear so that new ones can appear. This also applies to our attachment to certain habits or situations. The people who understand this are able to look into the rubble of the past and see new opportunities and invitations.

4. We are not alone in this change process

We all influence and are influenced by our environment. That’s why, according to Bruce Lee, every individual change requires a collective change, and vice versa. When environments evolve, so does the individual.

Individual development is a contribution to the world. At the same time, helping others to change and develop will promote personal growth. You cannot separate a person from the social group in which he lives.

5. Adaptation according to Bruce Lee: what exists, is the present in motion

The present is the synthesis of the past and the seeds of the future. The past, our memories, what has already happened, reveals itself today in a different form than when it happened. That is why the past no longer exists exactly as it did. But rather it exists as we think of it today.

There is no future if the present is not completely secure and cannot flow naturally. We have the opportunity in the here and now to plant a seed, not to determine the future. Because what is to come is uncertain. Therefore, the present moment is the only thing that is true and worthwhile.

6. There is no essence or fixed reality

In the West we talk a lot about the ‘essence’ of things. It’s part of the idea that there are fixed elements that are immutable over time. This concept makes us feel safe. We are therefore also talking about the human and social essence and other concepts that assume that reality is static.

In Bruce Lee’s philosophy, this concept does not exist.  For the identity of a human being can change completely. For example, suppose someone is shy. Then that doesn’t mean this is who he is. It just means he’s going through a phase. Because something completely different could happen in the future.

7. Let things flow. Don’t try to control them

Trying to control your own reality or someone else’s will only lead to frustration. Be that as it may, everything is as it should be. Everyone is as they should be, or at least at the moment. No one has absolute control over what happens in their life. Bruce Lee put it this way: we must be like water. For water adapts and takes the form of the things it encounters in its path.

Bruce Lee’s teachings had a major impact in the West. They represent a view of reality that is very different from the view in our society. In this view of the world, there is no need to dominate ourselves or others. On the contrary, we must respect the implicit logic of reality. It always differs slightly from what we want.