In case you haven’t been Keeping Up With Greene, his take on life is somewhat merciless and ruthless, and in his Hobbesian conception of the world, it may come as no surprise that this American author suggests turning to warfare psychology to better manage yourself and your surroundings. War With Yourself What I got from that is that the process of mastery is a long one, and most take a long time to gain the raw knowledge and intuition necessary for mastery. But there is a path that we can take to do so, to gain that key knowledge and intuition, and for each of the steps along that path there are ways to do it right. From the biographies of the Masters that are profiled in the book, you get to see the amount of bullshit and the trials and tribulations that they went through to gain mastery—and you also wonder about the ones who, in the same position, understandably gave up. Advance through trial and error: don’t follow a linear path. Learn as many different skills as you can in the area that interests you. Mastery by Robert Greene is a voluminous book that includes many detailed stories and anecdotes of Masters from all walks of life, e.g. sports, architecture, anthropology, art, business and medicine. Greene presents each idea with specific examples, deep insights and nuances to help us understand what the journey to mastery entails. Love learning for its own sake, and connect a wide array of ideas from different fields of study and disciplines.

The notion of “being authentic to your true self” is kinda sophomoric in the sense that your self is constantly evolving and changing, and also the fact that your “true self” might contain impulses towards serial homicide as much as astrophysics or chess, and should thus be regarded with due caution. I think your true self is something you create by making decisions, rather than something you excavate by listening to voices, inner or otherwise. Learn to embrace criticism and failure, and be grateful for the opportunity to learn and improve as a result of your mistakes. Let Go of the Past: you don’t have to fully abandon what you’ve done so far, but you can learn new ways to apply the skills and experiences

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Avoid the False Path: Realize you’re in the wrong line of business. Rebel against the forces that got you there. If it was a father figure, you have to slay it Don’t focus on the money or “piece of paper”: the goal of an apprenticeship is the transformation of your mind and character.

Mastery is another great book by Robert Greene. I’m constantly amazed by Greene’s depth of insight into human nature. So I’m not arguing in favor of conformity. It’s just as I’ve grown older I’ve noticed that while everyone agrees (in theory) that conformity is bad, (in practice) they conform on a number of fronts, and that the reasons for this conformity are most often benign, and that paradox is interesting to me. Groth, Aimee (June 5, 2012). "Robert Greene Tells Us What People Don't Understand About Power". Business Insider Australia.Robert Greene. The Aha! Moments That Made Paul Grahms Y Combinator Possible. Fast Company. November 12, 2012. It has been widely criticized as amoral and “evil” because Laws such as Never outshine the Master or Never put too much trust in Friends will already let you know the path this book will take you down: it’s cunning and ruthless because the aim here is power, not making friends. Plus, Greene was inspired by Machiavelli, which speaks volumes by itself. Interesting Fact Ben Thapa. Interviewing Robert Greene about Mastery, Hustle, Fear, Boxing and MMA. Bloody Elbow. November 12, 2012. a b Greene, Robert. Hidden Powers & My Next Book: Mastery: Part 1. Power Seduction and War. October 1, 2012.

In our full Mastery summary, we explain the strategies for becoming an ideal apprentice, including: Based on extensive research on neuroscience, cognitive sciences and various Masters’ biographies, Robert Greene discovered that mastery can be nurtured systematically in 3 phases:

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Robert Greene's Mastery explores the lives of many historical Masters (Mozart, Da Vinci, Proust, etc.) and explains how their Mastery is attainable for everyone. By ignoring societal constraints and complications, following our own interests, serving time in an apprenticeship phase, and staying committed to our craft, Greene believes that everyone can become a Master and make lasting contributions to society. The idea behind Greene's first book is that power is amoral, i.e. it is neither good or evil. The 48 Laws of Power, highlights how we conceptualize power, and therefore how we behave in different hierarchical institutions. [9] Don’t think about grand plans for the future, but focus on the immediate strengths in front of you. Fearn, Nicholas (March 5, 2006). "The 33 Strategies of War, by Robert Greene". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Adam Sisman`s definitive biography, published in 2015, revealed much about the elusive spy-turned-novelist; yet le Carré was adamant that some subjects should remain hidden, at least during his lifetime. #TheSecretLifeOfJohnLeCarré is the story of what was left out, and offers reflections on the difficult relationship between biographer and subject. More than that, it adds a necessary coda to the life and work of this complex, driven, restless man.

All Masters go through a transformative phase in their lives, like how a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. This typically involves a self-directed apprenticeship that lasts 5-10 years. Commit to an apprenticeship, in which you undergo years of humble observation, skill acquisition, and experimentation. During the apprenticeship phase, your goal is not to seek money or status, but to transform your mind and character. Go beyond the theoretical knowledge from your formal education to gain practical insights of how the world truly works, develop practical skills and discipline, and train yourself to think independently. The audience here is the creative eccentric. Apart from the usual advice about focusing on your passion and all that, what Greene adds is brutally direct advice about what creative types need to do to cope with all the "fools" and "sharks" in the world. Among other things, it involves treating fools like furniture. I'm not sure that the advice is useful, but it does seem to be unique.They will see your moves toward independence as an affront to their authority. They might come to envy you and your growing skills, your youth or your drive. Skills Acquisition: focus on a skill at a time, don’t multitask. Embrace the boring and tedium and be fully present. 2-3h of intense focus is better than 8h of distracted work. Concentrated practice over time cannot fail to produce results. The mentor-mentee relationship often resembles that of a son-father figure, and sometimes you need to slay the father to burst your cocoon.