11 Inspiring Quotes by Bruce Lee

Pearls of wisdom from the iconic martial arts master

A statue of Bruce Lee.

(zhu difeng / Shutterstock.com)

Bruce Lee stands out in pop culture for his iconic martial arts movies that displayed his extreme talent and artistry. But the gifted Lee was also a teacher and philosopher, creating a mixed arts style and practice, Jeet Kune Do, that he taught before his untimely death on July 20, 1973. His unique and spiritual take on life speaks to the beautiful legacy that Lee left, and is reflected in these 11 inspirational quotes from the master himself. 

1. ON LOVE
"If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love."

2. ON REACHING YOUR GOALS
"Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal."

3. ON ADAPTABILITY
"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water."

4. ON SELF ACTUALIZATION
"As you think, so shall you become."  

5. ON AWARENESS
"Awareness has no frontier; it is giving of your whole being, without exclusion."

6. ON MATERIALISM
“The more we value things, the less we value ourselves.” 

7. ON LIFE
"Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning."

8. ON TRUTH
"Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing."

9. ON ART
"Whether or not we can get together, remember well that art “lives” where absolute freedom is." 

10. ON KNOWLEDGE
"All types of knowledge, ultimately mean self knowledge."

11. ON PEOPLE
"Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system."