Mastery

by Robert Greene

There exists a form of power and intelligence that represents the high point of human potential.

It often comes to us in a period of tension—facing a deadline, the urgent need to solve a problem, a crisis of sorts.

it can come as the result of constant work on a project.

we feel unusually energized a...

This intense concentration sparks all kinds of ideas—they come to us as we fall asleep, out of nowhere, as if...

mastery—the feeling that we have a greater command of reality, other people, and ourselves.

The great danger is that we give in to feelings of boredom, impatience, fear, and confusion. We stop observing and learning. The process comes to a halt.

As we continue to observe and follow the lead of others, we gain clarity, learning the rules and seeing how things work and

fit together.

The first is the Apprenticeship; the second is the Creative-Active; the third, Mastery.

the brain that we possess is the work of six million years of development, and more than anything else, this evolution of the brain was designed to lead us to mastery, the latent power within us all.

Natural talent or a high IQ cannot explain future achievement.

inclination is a reflection of a person’s uniqueness.

This intense connection and desire allows them to withstand the pain of the process—the self-doubts, the tedious hours of practice and study, the inevitable setbacks, the endless barbs from the envious. They develop a resiliency and confidence that others lack.

Our levels of desire, patience, persistence, and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers. Feeling motivated and energized, we can overcome almost anything. Feeling bored and restless, our minds shut off and we become increasingly passive.

You may grow frustrated and depressed, never realizing that the source of it is your alienation from your own creative potential.

First, you must see your attempt at attaining mastery as something extremely necessary and positive.

We require the energy not only to address practical matters, but also to forge new institutions and orders that fit our changed circumstances.

Second, you must convince yourself of the following: people get the mind and quality of brain that they deserve through their actions in life.

All of us are born unique.

First, you must connect or reconnect with your inclinations, that sense of uniqueness. The first step then is always inward.

We must learn to develop ourselves.

Our times might emphasize equality, which we then mistake for the need for everyone to be the same, but what we really mean by this is the equal chance for people to express their differences, to let a thousand flowers bloom.

In order to master a field, you must love the subject and feel a profound connection to it. Your interest must transcend the field itself and border on the religious.

It is a healthy part of your development to follow a path independent of your parents and to establish your own identity.

You are not tied to a particular position; your loyalty is not to a career or a company. You are committed to your Life’s Task, to giving it full expression. It is up to you to find it and guide it correctly. It is not up to others to protect or help you. You are on your own. Change is inevitable,

Often such creative readjustments lead to a superior path for us—we are shaken out of our complacency and forced to reassess where we are headed.

you will often encounter particular problems that will tend to make you emotional and lock you into the Naïve Perspective.

Understand: your work is the single greatest means at your disposal for expressing your social intelligence. By being efficient and detail oriented in what you do, you demonstrate that you are thinking of the group at large and advancing its cause. By making what you write or present clear and easy to follow, you show your care for the audience or public at large. By involving other people in your projects and gracefully accepting their feedback, you reveal your comfort with the group dynamic. Work that is solid also protects you from the political conniving and malevolence of others—it is hard to argue with the results you produce.

do not lose your head and become consumed with all of the pettiness.

the personality we project to the world plays a substantial role in our success and in our ascension to mastery.

people will tend to judge you based on your outward appearance.

you never settle on one image or give people the power to completely figure you out.

By creating a persona that is mysterious, intriguing, and masterful, you are playing to the public, giving them something compelling and pleasurable to witness.

it is best that you learn how to mingle and blend into all types of environments, giving yourself maximum flexibility.

we are quick to discern the mistakes and defects of others, but when it comes to ourselves we are generally too emotional and insecure to look squarely at our own.

people rarely tell us the truth about what it is that we do wrong.

We can classify people as fools by the following rubric: when it comes to practical life, what should matter is getting long-term results, and getting the work done in as efficient and creative a manner as possible.

They place more importance on short-term matters—grabbing immediate money, getting attention from the public or media, and looking good.

In dealing with fools you must adopt the following philosophy: they are simply a part of

life, like rocks or furniture.

The height of wisdom, however, is to take this even further and to actually exploit their foolishness—using them for material for your work, as examples of things to avoid, or by looking for ways to turn their actions to your advantage.

it is generally wise to try to gain the rudiments of social intelligence—to be able to read and recognize the sharks, and to charm and disarm difficult people.

If we think deeply about our childhood, not just about our memories of it but how it actually felt, we realize how differently we experienced the world back then. Our minds were completely open, and we entertained all kinds of surprising, original ideas.

We had a powerful desire to turn everything around us into a game, to play with circumstances.

Under pressure to make a living and conform to society, we force our minds into tighter and tighter grooves.

Masters and those who display a high level of creative energy are simply people who manage to retain a sizeable portion of their childhood spirit despite the pressures and demands of adulthood.

Masters not only retain the spirit of the Original Mind, but they add to it their years of apprenticeship and an ability to focus deeply on problems or ideas. This leads to high-level creativity.

Masters manage to blend the two—discipline and a childlike spirit—together into what we shall call the Dimensional Mind.

Understand: we all possess an inborn creative force that wants to become active. This is the gift of our Original Mind, which reveals such potential.