How to develop independent thinking: tips from Bruce Lee

1. Remember that no dogma reflects reality in its entirety

People usually adhere to the traditions and views that are prevalent in their country. These traditions and attitudes determine what is considered correct behavior and what it means to live well. But when you are influenced by just one cultural or ideological system, your thinking is limited to a very narrow set of values.

Bruce Lee was greatly influenced by Chinese philosophy, and he tried to bring oriental values to the West. Nevertheless, he was always aware of the limitations of one tradition and combined ideas from different cultures to come to his own conclusions.

Any dogma proclaims itself the only true one. But if we turn to history, we will see that each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Usually, people adhere to a certain dogma only by pure chance: because it is common where they were born, or was considered correct in their environment.

This does not mean that one cannot at all believe the views that are supported by the majority. You just need to think and be careful. Each culture or ideology can teach something, the main thing is not to forget that none of them reflects reality in its entirety.

During one interview, Bruce Lee was asked who he still considers himself to be, Chinese or American. “Neither one nor the other,” he replied. "I consider myself a human."

2. Develop intellectual confidence

If an idea has been around long enough, then there is a good reason for it. Therefore, in order to refute part of the existing dogma, one must have intellectual confidence. You need to believe that the reason why you reject or accept something is really good and that it will not mislead you.

Bruce Lee believed that his confidence in his physical abilities stemmed from intellectual confidence. Thanks to the confidence he gained by developing his mind, he could rely on his own way of thinking and acting.

Thinking independently will help you develop and move forward. To think for yourself, you need to work on yourself and your views.

3. Strive for self-expression, not imitation

Bruce Lee

Learning is not just imitation or the ability to accumulate knowledge and adapt to it. It is a process of continuous discovery that never ends.

First you need to understand yourself, then you will imagine what is right for you and what is not. And after that, you will develop in the direction that is important to you, and not be scattered over everything.

Any development starts from a basic level - from who you are and what you think is right. Of course, that could change too. After all, you should always strive to become better. The main thing is not to try to become someone else. People often get too attached to the source of their inspiration or to the one from whom they take an example. And while it can be useful sometimes, more often than not, we lose our uniqueness.