“If Your Cup Is Full, Then…”: How Bruce Lee’s ‘Empty Cup’ Philosophy Helps Generate New Ideas, Revealed His Daughter in 2016

Published 12/12/2022, 2:30 PM EST

Follow Us

One of the world’s greatest personalities, Bruce Lee is an inspiration for many. His demise in 1973 shocked the world. However, his fans continue to remember him through his enlightening philosophies.  Bruce Lee’s daughter recalled one such teaching, in an interview in 2016. It dealt with the importance of emptying the mind which is quite a life hack.

Bruce Lee was a people’s hero. Through his films, he popularized Hong Kong-based films in the west. Lee introduced martial arts in mainstream cinema that bridged the gap between the western and eastern worlds. Besides his films, people imbibed Lee’s popular philosophy towards life that prevails amongst many even today. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Bruce Lee’s famous philosophy with cups

As a martial artist, Bruce Lee led a very disciplined life. In the process, he discovered philosophies that helped him control his mind. In many instances, he shared his learnings in interviews, making an impact in minds of the people. Lee’s children as well were fond of his philosophies. His daughter Shannon Lee, discussed one of Lee’s famous ‘Empty Your Cup’ philosophies in a Bruce Lee special podcast

via Getty

Shannon discussed how learning new things eliminates monotony in life. She connected it with her father’s philosophy saying: 

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

If your cup is full then there is no more room. There is no more room for anything new to get in for any new idea, for any new feeling or thought and so you just have to continue to empty that cup. Continue to pour out and then you have the space for something new to come in and it does require awareness, it does require a desire to be present and to want to figure these sorts of things out.”

“They’ve Been Impacted”: Bruce Lee’s ‘Be Water’ Philosophy Continues to Influence People, Revealed His Daughter in 2016

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Shannon indicated that sometimes we get overwhelmed with too much information about certain things and think that we know everything. However, if we empty our minds at times, it brings a lot of peace which is all we need at the end of the day. 

What more do we know about Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee?

Shannon Lee has been fierce protecting her father’s legacy. Moreover, she is a lot more than that. Shannon is a classically trained singer . She has a degree in vocal performance and music from Tulane University in New Orleans. She has sung a few songs with credits.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The daughter of Bruce Lee is also a published author. She wrote Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee published in 2020. The book was based on Bruce Lee’s other famous philosophy, “be water”.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Muskan Sharma

739Articles

One take at a time

Muskan Sharma is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta. Muskan has worked as a writer for 3+ years but has a knack for filmmaking, too.
Show More>

Edited by:

Gideon Mathson