The 12 Teachings of Carlos Gracie



I like those.

Carlos Gracie is the founder of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The actions this man took gave birth to a true legacy.
Even if this thread looks cheesy as hell, what this man has to say at least deserves to be read once.

I really don't agree with the 5th one. You do that and I promise you, that you will be let-down and dissapointed much more in your life. Instead of expecting the best, jsut avoid the worst.

And yeah, they all were a bit cheesy. But for wrote with the best intentions, if nothing else. There's such a thing as being TOO possitive about things. Life isn't all flowers, bunnies, and rainbows you know...

In general, I like the spirit of these "teachings" but they seem a little dogmatic. I think Bruce Lee would expect that they provide too much "limitation".

Nevertheless, they are respectable in that they are generally positive.

But I definitely concur with Lantis about the 5th one. To me the whole purpose in life, the REAL meaning of it, is to one day realize that you don't ever have to be the best to be happy, live a fulfilling life, or positively affect others. In many ways, striving to be the best can be detrimental both to yourself as well as others. Striving to be the best (even your best) is the most overrated principle I have ever heard of in my entire 36 years.

Also 5 conflicts with 4 because 4 talks about using "reality" as a basis of your optimism. If that is the case, then like Lantis said, you have to embrace that life isn't all flowers, bunnies, etc...for proper optimism. In other words, if you expect only the best, then your optimism will never be rooted in reality but rather your imagination because you will be ignoring that REALISTICALLY you CANNOT have only the best because you will also have less than the best. Unless of course he is diluting the meaning of "expect".

Of course if I actually agreed with 9, then I wouldn't be writing this post and I believe strongly that both I and others would potentially not have gained any further insight into these teachings. Criticism of one's self and others is an essential tool to self and social development. The problem is not in the act of criticizing but in the manner of it.

I believe he says "expect only the best" because the best is what happens if you actually "work only for the best".

Of course, everyone has their own opinions. Carlos Gracie had a lot that are at least a little bit esoteric. He, for instance, believed sex was best for reproduction ends and thus made this: http://www.gracie.com/family/tree.html

Even beyond that, someone who has a the strength of mind put forth in the first is not bothered by such things.
They will work, and they will get what they get.

overall these 12 are good advice.

i prefer the wizards rules out of the sword of truth or the teaching of the book of five rings.

expecting the best doesnt mean you have to be conceited, just means you have to be positive and deserve the best due to your actions - be worthy of the best.

But life doesn't work like that. I'm sure there's a hard working man out there that's put so much into his life... and his daughter was killed by a drunk driver.

I don't care how strong you are, you aren't going to pull any possitives out of that.

And that is why I believe the teaching to "expect only the best" is misguided and misguiding.

Even if the idea is to be worthy of the best (as Karr Lord of Chaos has suggested) or have perserverance for the best, then why not say that specifically. It is as though the teaching is intended to set the mindset to settle for nothing less than the best and as Lantis was saying, when you have something that is less than the best, something far worse, you are ill-prepared to handle the consequences. This is the same kind of problematic material that self-help coaches use to go too far.

A better more realistic (and possibly more modern or contemporary) take would be to strive and work for the best BUT respect your limitations and never expect it or at least not expect it necessarily but don't let it stop you if you don't get it.

@ Lantis:

I think you're confusing things.

This is the law of attration:


That is definitely not what's stated there in those teachings. It's not about thinking that your attitude can change the way things work. Your attitude will only change the way you work, and your influence in the world will turn out to be good because that's what you're doing, you're working to make the world a better place. If you're doing that properly and with dedication, it's clear that the world will become a better place.

No, you can't make the killing of your daughter in a car accident feel any degree of good.
The way you treat someone, however, may change the way that someone thinks and prevent him from getting drunk and driving.

If you think I'm exaggerating, well... I have received smiles that changed my day. Some have changed my entire life. I'm sure you have, too.

</pedant> I'm sorry.


@Bo:

Most limitations, excepting some extreme genetical cases, are purely psychological.
"Respecting your limitations" is just another way to "limit yourself".
I've never got anything done by "respecting my limitations". In fact, at this moment of my life, to get what I want done I need to completely override my limitations and believe firmly that I can do it, otherwise I fail.
Personal experience is what makes me think this way; you may disagree.

@The Gnasher

Then why doesn't he just say that? Are his teachings supposed to have a disciple nearby to properly interpret them? Why not say "work to make the world a better place because it will become one" than "expect only the best"? Is there any chance that when he said to "expect only the best" he actually meant "expect only the best" because as a human, he didn't have the wisdom or the insight yet (or proper social and historical climate maybe) to understand that this easy to use inspirational selling-point can actually be negative to one's self and to others?

EDIT: To address your edited response. When I say respecting your limitations I mean as openly as one sees positive. Would you jump off a building to fly to your destination faster because if you believe it you may be able to fly or would you respect you limitation that you cannot fly? I understand the whole concept about not holding yourself back from what is possible, but if you don't limit yourself you may also be holding yourself back from what is possible.

Because to score 80% in a test you have to study as if you're seriously aiming for 100%?

Again, I think part of his intention was correct but the whole point was entirely misstated. This EVEN IF you think taking the test is somehow valuable.


EDIT: Be honest, you have BOTH gotten a lot done and held yourself back by respecting your limitations. You are using the same kind of one-side biased dramatic inspirational language that coaches and teachers use and you are misleading yourself and others. You have already given up on the act of limitation rather than understand the manner of limitation.

Even Bruce Lee said the "the only limitation is no limitation".