"Know the cause of your ignorance. Instead of establishing rigid rules and separative thoughts, we should look within ourselves to see where our particular problems lie and our cause of ignorance." - Bruce Lee

 

Posted by ADAM CARTER on APR 04, 2024

"Know the cause of your ignorance. Instead of establishing rigid rules and separative thoughts, we should look within ourselves to see where our particular problems lie and our cause of ignorance." - Bruce Lee

 

(1 minute 35 second read)

Have you ever encountered someone who seems completely stuck in their ways? Someone who refuses to consider any viewpoint but their own? That’s the hallmark of a closed mind.

And boy, have I had a few of these in the comments on my articles lately.

A closed-minded person isn’t simply someone who holds strong beliefs. They are totally unwilling to even entertain the possibility that other ideas might have merit.

They view their beliefs as absolute truth, shutting out any chance for growth or learning.

This rigidity can be especially detrimental in all of the martial arts, where adaptation and open-mindedness are crucial.

Someone with an open-mind is person who is a lifelong learner. They’re comfortable admitting they might be wrong and actively seek out diverse perspectives. They ask questions, engage in thoughtful conversations, and embrace challenges as opportunities to improve.

It’s not about winning arguments – why on earth are some individuals in the martial arts so divisive?

Trying to argue someone out of a closed mind is just futile, especially on social media. Most of the people who put out these derisive comments don’t even train, they just watch a few videos and suddenly they are the expert.

Sometimes, disengaging from the conversation is the best course of action.

One such comment from a jiu-jitsu practitioner, tried to argue how useless kata was; “show me a kata that is relevant to fighting today”. The misunderstandings are beyond belief sometimes. I asked him to read a couple of my previous articles, giving him the direct links, but to no avail, he wasn’t interested. His mind (what there is of it) was made up.

Open-mindedness isn’t about pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s about acknowledging the limitations of your own knowledge and being willing to learn.

Be the type of person that is curious and asks questions, seeking to unravel the intricacies of what we are taught and uncover new perspectives.

Engaging with a closed-minded person can be really frustrating. Having an argument with the intent to “win” is unlikely to yield any results. So I give them an opportunity to have an open dialogue, but sometimes, the best course of action is to just press the delete button.

And of course his final parting comment – “jiu-jitsu will smoke your kata.”

Such groundbreaking analysis. Now, someone pass that guy a trophy for the most creative insult.

“Know the cause of your ignorance. Instead of establishing rigid rules and separative thoughts, we should look within ourselves to see where our particular problems lie and our cause of ignorance.” – Bruce Lee

 Photo Credit: quote from Bruce Lee Enterprises