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About this quote

What does it mean?
The nature of nothingness and softness defies definition and forceful resistance.
In plain terms
You cannot define nothingness or break the softest thing.
What can you take from it?
Accept that some concepts resist definition or force.

Where it applies

  • debate
  • strategy
  • philosophical inquiry

Putting it to work

  • embrace ambiguity
  • yield to softness
  • avoid rigidity

Questions to consider

  • What cannot be defined?
  • When is softness stronger than force?

Another view

Undervaluing definitions can hinder clear communication.

More from Bruce Lee

  1. Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.

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  2. Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.

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  3. Mere technical knowledge is only the beginning of Kung Fu, to master it, one must enter into the spirit of it.

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