I had always wanted to capture my thoughts on the movie "Fearless" but never got to it. This was one movie which resonated with my opinions on art, depth in life, friendship and beyond. There are also some key takeaways which cannot be ignored and worth a share. If you have not watched the movie, see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/ to understand the plot. The rest of the blog is divided into lessons and an associated context in the movie that explains it. The main character "Huo Yuanjia" is played by Jet Li.
(1) "Never use art to build your ego."
- Huo Yuanjia gets defeated as a child in a fight and decides to win over everyone else in his town when he grows up. His quest to become a champion blinds his sense of seeing through things. He becomes a champion in his town but his ego pushes him into a personal tragedy. It makes him impatient and angry. Acquiring depth in a skill must make a person more humble. If it builds the ego, that means the mind is being influenced by materialistic influences in the system. These influences are created in the first place to weaken the current state of the skill. So, the real strength or motivation does not come from outside. It comes from the inside. The core principles must originate from the soul within and a deep connection with something like the arts helps build them.
(2) "Fame will bring shallow connections and relationships with it. Always maintain a safe distance"
- As Huo attains fame he is surrounded by disciples who are not motivated by the passion to learn the skill, but by fame. They eventually end up incurring huge expenses for him. Huo thinks that these people have a deep connection with him and does not mind it. In a tragic turn of events, he realizes that these people have caused irreparable damage to him. A strong leader is one who does not buy what others say, instantly. Instead, he must be able to look through manipulations and work a way around it to promote what is good. The leader must be a change agent and make way for propagating his agenda. Once again, the agenda in itself can be selfish which must be avoided. Creating a solid agenda is the leader's responsibility. When Huo decides to come back and start a school for strengthening the nation, his vision has a deeper meaning.
(3) "When in doubt, always trust a close friend's opinion"
- When Huo is asked to leave without a fight by his close friend, his anger blinds his senses. He does not pay attention to his friend's words. This costs him heavily in the next sequence of events. It is important to seek the help of a close friend when important decisions have to be made. The act of listening in itself helps build patience and removes desperation.
(4) "Real happiness is all about enjoying a deep connection in any activity. Rewards that come from finishing an activity cannot replace that happiness"
- Huo tries to plant faster than the rest of the group on the fields so he can finish faster and satisfy his thirst of being superior to others. When there is a cool breeze, the rest of the group stand still to enjoy it while Huo keeps planting. In the end, he realizes that he has planted it too close and it had to be replanted. Completing an activity with a deep connection always yields the best results. No reward can replace the happiness that comes from that connection. In order to form the connection, the mind has to be calm and ready to take on that activity.
(5) "Treat an opponent as you would treat your friend, with respect."
- When the japanese fighter meets Huo for tea, he starts respecting Huo for his words. A true martial artist needs to understand that victory against an opponent in the battle is shallow.
(6) "There is great honor in accepting the fact that you lost when you did not actually win."
- During the last fight, Huo withholds himself from delivering a blow that would have killed the japanese fighter. When he falls because of the poisoned tea, the fighter realizes that and declares that Huo won the fight and walks out. A true artist is one who respects the art and does not fake something to earn a name that does not mean anything. Not living a fake life in itself helps promote happiness and inner peace. Do not yield to pressures around you and forget who you are.
(7) "Even in death, stand up for what you loved.Never fear anyone even if you knew you were alone in what you propagated"
- Catch the movie on netflix to realize this for yourself. Grab a cup of tea and spend 104 minutes usefully.
(1) "Never use art to build your ego."
- Huo Yuanjia gets defeated as a child in a fight and decides to win over everyone else in his town when he grows up. His quest to become a champion blinds his sense of seeing through things. He becomes a champion in his town but his ego pushes him into a personal tragedy. It makes him impatient and angry. Acquiring depth in a skill must make a person more humble. If it builds the ego, that means the mind is being influenced by materialistic influences in the system. These influences are created in the first place to weaken the current state of the skill. So, the real strength or motivation does not come from outside. It comes from the inside. The core principles must originate from the soul within and a deep connection with something like the arts helps build them.
(2) "Fame will bring shallow connections and relationships with it. Always maintain a safe distance"
- As Huo attains fame he is surrounded by disciples who are not motivated by the passion to learn the skill, but by fame. They eventually end up incurring huge expenses for him. Huo thinks that these people have a deep connection with him and does not mind it. In a tragic turn of events, he realizes that these people have caused irreparable damage to him. A strong leader is one who does not buy what others say, instantly. Instead, he must be able to look through manipulations and work a way around it to promote what is good. The leader must be a change agent and make way for propagating his agenda. Once again, the agenda in itself can be selfish which must be avoided. Creating a solid agenda is the leader's responsibility. When Huo decides to come back and start a school for strengthening the nation, his vision has a deeper meaning.
(3) "When in doubt, always trust a close friend's opinion"
- When Huo is asked to leave without a fight by his close friend, his anger blinds his senses. He does not pay attention to his friend's words. This costs him heavily in the next sequence of events. It is important to seek the help of a close friend when important decisions have to be made. The act of listening in itself helps build patience and removes desperation.
(4) "Real happiness is all about enjoying a deep connection in any activity. Rewards that come from finishing an activity cannot replace that happiness"
- Huo tries to plant faster than the rest of the group on the fields so he can finish faster and satisfy his thirst of being superior to others. When there is a cool breeze, the rest of the group stand still to enjoy it while Huo keeps planting. In the end, he realizes that he has planted it too close and it had to be replanted. Completing an activity with a deep connection always yields the best results. No reward can replace the happiness that comes from that connection. In order to form the connection, the mind has to be calm and ready to take on that activity.
(5) "Treat an opponent as you would treat your friend, with respect."
- When the japanese fighter meets Huo for tea, he starts respecting Huo for his words. A true martial artist needs to understand that victory against an opponent in the battle is shallow.
(6) "There is great honor in accepting the fact that you lost when you did not actually win."
- During the last fight, Huo withholds himself from delivering a blow that would have killed the japanese fighter. When he falls because of the poisoned tea, the fighter realizes that and declares that Huo won the fight and walks out. A true artist is one who respects the art and does not fake something to earn a name that does not mean anything. Not living a fake life in itself helps promote happiness and inner peace. Do not yield to pressures around you and forget who you are.
(7) "Even in death, stand up for what you loved.Never fear anyone even if you knew you were alone in what you propagated"
- Catch the movie on netflix to realize this for yourself. Grab a cup of tea and spend 104 minutes usefully.
2 comments:
nicely written machi!!! It is one of my favorite movies too...
Thanks !!!
Post a Comment