An intelligent mind is an inquiring mind. It is not satisfied with explanation, with conclusions. Nor is it a mind that believes, because belief is again another form of conclusion.
Bruce LeeRead
Anxiety is the gap between the NOW and the THEN. So if you are in the NOW, you can't be anxious, because your excitement flows immediately into ongoing spontaneous activity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Anxiety arises from worrying about the future rather than focusing on the present moment.
Bruce Lee's quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present to avoid feelings of anxiety. He suggests that anxiety stems from the disconnection between the present moment ('NOW') and future concerns ('THEN'). By engaging fully in the present, we can channel our energy into positive actions instead of being paralyzed by worry about what is to come.
Themes
AnxietyPresentMindfulnessLiving In The NowBruce Lee
In practice
Example use cases
In a mental health workshop, to illustrate the importance of mindfulness.
More from Bruce Lee
All quotes →There’s only one basic principle of self-defense- you must apply the most effective weapon, as soon as possible, to the most vulnerable target.
Bruce LeeRead
Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.
Bruce LeeRead
Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind for they are the weeds that strange confidence.
Bruce LeeRead
More and more I believe in the fact that you have two hands and two legs, and the thing is how to make good use of yourself - and that's about it.
Bruce LeeRead
Because one does not want to be disturbed, to be made uncertain, he establishes a pattern of conduct, of thought, a pattern of relationships to man. He then becomes a slave to the pattern and takes the pattern to be the real thing.
Bruce LeeRead
Similar quotes
Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good.
PlatoRead
The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.
EpicurusRead
Worry is a state of mind based upon fear. It works slowly, but persistently. It is insidious and subtle. Step by step it “digs itself in” until it paralyzes ones reasoning faculty, destroys self-confidence and initiative. Worry is a form of sustained fear caused by indecision therefore it is a state of mind which can be controlled.
Napoleon HillRead
In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today’s dynamic, lean economy, it’s more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.
Eric RiesRead
Data isn't information. ... Information, unlike data, is useful. While there's a gulf between data and information, there's a wide ocean between information and knowledge. What turns the gears in our brains isn't information, but ideas, inventions, and inspiration. Knowledge-not information-implies understanding. And beyond knowledge lies what we should be seeking: wisdom.
Clifford StollRead
So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' - then you should abandon them.
Gautama BuddhaRead