#61 Confrontation

When Bruce talked about confrontation he was talking about it on two levels, physical confrontation and then confrontations between people in everyday life. As you become ore rooted and secure in yourself, the natural tendency is to feel that you can more easily avoid confrontation, that you don’t need to prove yourself. What Bruce has learned from being challenged is: What is your reaction to being challenged? How does it affect you? If you’re secure then you treat it lightly. Part of being able to handle confrontation is self-work. “Wisdom does not consist in trying to wrest the good from the evil, but in learning to ride them as a cork adapts itself to the crests and troughs of the waves.” “The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of an engagement, you ought not to be thinking whether it ends in victory or defeat.” A lot of times confrontation has nothing to do with you and has to do with the other person being wrapped up in something that triggers them. “A struggle of any nature can never be settled satisfactorily until the absolute fact is touched.” “See that there is no one to fight, only an illusion to see through.” “Intelligence, intelligence, is sometimes defined as the capacity of the individual to adjust himself successfully to his environment or to adjust the environment to his needs.” If there is a confrontation presented to you, you want to wait a beat before reacting. “Who is there that can make muddy water clear? But if allowed to remain still, it will become clear of itself. Who is there that can secure a state of absolute repose, but keep calm and let time go on and the state of repose will gradually arrest.” It’s not about what happens, it’s about your reaction to what happens. It’s not a sign of weakness to stay calm and not respond to someone who is be aggressive towards you, it’s a sign of strength and patience. “It’s not a shame to be knocked down by other people, the important thing is to ask when being knocked down, why am I being knocked down? If a person can reflect in this way, there is hope for the person.” Most of the time when Bruce was talking about confrontation, he was talking about physical confrontation. When someone is actually attacking you, you can discover your emotional response to confrontation, it’s an amplified reaction of how you feel in other non-physical situations of confrontation. “If you want to see an opponent clearly, you must throw away prejudices, likes, and dislikes, and so forth. Then, your mind will cease all conflict and come to rest, in this silence, you will see totally and freshly.” Take Action: Start with noticing your response to confrontation and conflict. What is going on within you? What can you learn about yourself? #AAHA Tamlyn Tomita is a Japanese born American actress. She made her acting debut in The Karate Kid Part II and was also in The Joy Luck Club, Four Rooms, and Day After Tomorrow. Recently, Tamlyn was in the news for standing up against the white washing that’s been happening in Hollywood. Tamlyn was sent a script that she found extremely offensive, and she spoke out publicly about how terrible the script was and how it used offensive Asian stereotypes for the characters. We think it’s awesome that she stood up for herself and her heritage, much in the way Bruce Lee did, especially because it’s difficult to get roles as a minority in Hollywood. We think you’re awesome Tamlyn! #BruceLeeMoment From listener Karen M.: “I have been struggling with Add/ADHD and dyslexia may entire life 55 years. I have always been on edge feeling like I have not been good enough because of my disabilities. Listening to your podcast about Bruce Lee has given me a chance to look at things in a different way. Letting me know that it's ok if i have to do things a different way.” Share your #AAHAs, #BruceLeeMoments, and #TakeAction progress with us at hello@brucelee.com Find the full version of our show notes at BruceLee.com/podcast