Mastery

by Robert Greene

the ultimate distinction you make is between yourself and the world.

But every time you learn something, your brain is altered as new connections are formed.

It is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular field of knowledge.

the ability to connect deeply to your environment is the most primal and in many ways the most powerful form of mastery the brain can bring us.

There are many paths to mastery, and if you are persistent you will certainly find one that suits you. But a key component in the process is determining your mental and psychological strengths and working with them.

achieving mastery in life often depends on those first steps that we take.

Empathy plays an enormous role in learning and knowledge.

Each time one skill becomes automatic, the mind is freed up to focus on the higher one.

In our culture we tend to denigrate practice.

You must see whatever you produce as something that has a life and presence of its own.

The reason is simple: such a person will be able to think beyond the moment and control the overall dynamic through careful strategizing. Most

we can never really experience what other people are experiencing.

Your false self is the accumulation of all the voices you have internalized from other people—parents

Mastery is not a question of genetics or luck, but of following your natural inclinations and the deep desire that stirs you from within.

Alienating yourself from your inclinations can only lead to pain and disappointment in the long run, and a sense that you have wasted something unique.