Mastery Read online

  MASTERY

  ALSO BY ROBERT GREENE

  The 50th Law (with 50 Cent)

  The 33 Strategies of War

  (A Joost Elfers Production)

  The Art of Seduction

  (A Joost Elfers Production)

  The 48 Laws of Power

  (A Joost Elfers Production)

  ROBERT GREENE

  MASTERY

  VIKING

  VIKING

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. • Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) • Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) • Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published in 2012 by Viking Penguin,

  a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Copyright © Robert Greene, 2012

  All rights reserved

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Greene, Robert.

  Mastery / Robert Greene.

  p. cm.

  Includes bibliographical references (p.)

  and index.

  ISBN: 978-1-101-60102-0

  1. Successful people. 2. Success.

  3. Self-actualization (Psychology) I. Title.

  BF637.S8G695 2012

  158—dc23 2012027195

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  To Anna

  CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  THE ULTIMATE POWER

  Higher intelligence—definition of mastery—the three phases of mastery—intuitive intelligence—connecting to reality—the latent power within us all

  THE EVOLUTION OF MASTERY

  Our primitive ancestors—evolution of the human brain—the ability to detach and focus—social intelligence of early hominids—mirror neurons—thinking inside—mastery of time—working with the grain of the human brain—connecting to our early roots

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  Charles Darwin following his inclination—traits of all great Masters—our uniqueness and primal inclinations—political barriers to mastery crumbling—definition of genius—the concept of mastery denigrated—role of desire in mastery—the danger of passivity—the plasticity of the brain—overview of strategies and biographical figures in the book

  I.

  DISCOVER YOUR CALLING:

  THE LIFE’S TASK

  You possess an inner force that seeks to guide you toward your Life’s Task—what you are meant to accomplish in the time that you have to live. The first move toward mastery is always inward—learning who you really are and reconnecting with that innate force. Knowing it with clarity, you will find your way to the proper career path and everything else will fall into place. It is never too late to start this process.

  THE HIDDEN FORCE

  Leonardo da Vinci

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  Examples of Masters guided by a sense of destiny—the seed of your uniqueness—reconnecting with your inclinations—definition of “vocation”—choosing a vocation—finding your niche—the quest for accomplishment—learn who you really are

  STRATEGIES FOR FINDING YOUR LIFE’S TASK

  1. Return to your origins—The primal inclination strategy

  Albert Einstein—Marie Curie—Ingmar Bergman—Martha Graham—Daniel Everett—John Coltrane

  2. Occupy the perfect niche—The Darwinian strategy

  A. V. S. Ramachandran

  B. Yoky Matsuoka

  3. Avoid the false path—The rebellion strategy

  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

  4. Let go of the past—The adaptation strategy

  Freddie Roach

  5. Find your way back—The life-or-death strategy

  Buckminster Fuller

  REVERSAL

  Temple Grandin

  II.

  SUBMIT TO REALITY:

  THE IDEAL APPRENTICESHIP

  After your formal education, you enter the most critical phase in your life—a second, practical education known as The Apprenticeship. Before it is too late you must learn the lessons and follow the path established by the greatest Masters, past and present—a kind of Ideal Apprenticeship that transcends all fields. In the process you will master the necessary skills, discipline your mind, and transform yourself into an independent thinker, prepared for the creative challenges on the way to mastery.

  THE FIRST TRANSFORMATION

  Charles Darwin

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  The Ideal Apprenticeship defined—the goal of apprenticeship as self-transformation

  The Apprenticeship Phase—

  The Three Steps or Modes

  Step One: Deep Observation—The Passive Mode

  Mute your colors—observe the rules—observe power relationships—interpretation of Charles Darwin story—know your environment

  Step Two: Skills Acquisition—The Practice Mode

  Gaining tacit knowledge—the apprenticeship system of the Middle Ages—the cycle of accelerated returns—embracing tedium—the frontal cortex and learning tasks—hard-wiring knowledge—the magical number of 10,000 hours

  Step Three: Experimentation—The Active Mode

  Gradual self-assertion and experiment—overcoming fears

  Skill acquisition in the modern world—relevance of apprenticeship—the hand-eye connection—you are a builder

  STRATEGIES FOR COMPLETING THE IDEAL

  APPRENTICESHIP

  1. Value learning over money

  Benjamin Franklin—Albert Einstein—Martha Graham—Freddie Roach

  2. Keep expanding your horizons

  Zora Neale Hurston

  3. Revert to a feeling of inferiority

  Daniel Everett

  4. Trust the process

  Cesar Rodriguez

  5. Move toward resistance and pain

  A. Bill Bradley

  B. John Keats

  6. Apprentice yourself in failure

  Henry Ford

  7. Combine the “how” and the “what”

  Santiago Calatrava

  8. Advance through trial and error

  Paul Graham

  Reversal

  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—Albert Einstein

  III.

  ABSORB THE MASTER’S POWER:

  THE MENTOR DYNAMIC

  Life is short, and your time for learning and creativity is limited. Without any guidance, you can waste valuable years trying to gain knowledge and practice from various sources. Instead, you must follow the example set by Masters throughout the ages and find the proper mentor. Choose the mentor who best fits your needs and connects to your Life’s Task. Once you have internalized their knowledge, you must move on and never remain in their shadow. Your goal is always to surpass your mentors in mastery and brilliance.

  THE ALCHEMY OF KNOWLEDGE

  Michael Faraday

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  The importance of humility—t
he value of mentors—the mentor-protégé dynamic—learning as alchemy—interpretation of Michael Faraday story—Alexander the Great—the value of personal interaction—finding and attracting a mentor—famous figures or books as mentors—the mentor as father figure—when to cut the Master

  STRATEGIES FOR DEEPENING

  THE MENTOR RELATIONSHIP

  1. Choose the mentor according to your needs and inclinations

  Frank Lloyd Wright—Carl Jung—V. S. Ramachandran—Yoky Matsuoka

  2. Gaze deep into the mentor’s mirror

  Hakuin Zenji

  3. Transfigure their ideas

  Glenn Gould

  4. Create a back-and-forth dynamic

  Freddie Roach

  REVERSAL

  Thomas Edison

  IV.

  SEE PEOPLE AS THEY ARE:

  SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

  Often the greatest obstacle to our pursuit of mastery comes from the emotional drain we experience in dealing with the resistance and manipulations of the people around us. We misread their intentions and react in ways that cause confusion or conflict. Social intelligence is the ability to see people in the most realistic light possible. Navigating smoothly through the social environment, we have more time and energy to focus on learning and acquiring skills. Success attained without this intelligence is not true mastery, and will not last.

  THINKING INSIDE

  Benjamin Franklin

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  Humans as the preeminent social animal—the Naïve Perspective holding us back—interpretation of Benjamin Franklin story—adjusting your attitude

  Specific Knowledge—Reading People

  Nonverbal communication—paying attention to cues—looking for common emotional experiences—reading people intuitively—looking for patterns—the danger of first impressions

  General Knowledge—The Seven Deadly Realities

  Envy

  Conformism

  Rigidity

  Self-obsessiveness

  Laziness

  Flightiness

  Passive Aggression

  Social intelligence and creativity

  STRATEGIES FOR ACQUIRING

  SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

  1. Speak through your work

  A. Ignaz Semmelweis

  B. William Harvey

  2. Craft the appropriate persona

  Teresita Fernández

  3. See yourself as others see you

  Temple Grandin

  4. Suffer fools gladly

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—Josef von Sternberg—Daniel Everett

  REVERSAL

  Paul Graham

  V.

  AWAKEN THE DIMENSIONAL MIND:

  THE CREATIVE-ACTIVE

  As you accumulate more skills and internalize the rules that govern your field, your mind will want to become more active, seeking to use this knowledge in ways that are more suited to your inclinations. Instead of feeling complacent about what you know, you must expand your knowledge to related fields, giving your mind fuel to make new associations between different ideas. In the end, you will turn against the very rules you have internalized, shaping and reforming them to suit your spirit. Such originality will bring you to the heights of power.

  THE SECOND TRANSFORMATION

  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  The Original Mind—the Conventional Mind—the Dimensional Mind—interpretation of Mozart story—the three essential steps

  Step One: The Creative Task

  Altering your concept of creativity—searching for the Great White Whale—Thomas Edison, Rembrandt, Marcel Proust, and the ultimate creative challenges—The Primary Law of the Creative Dynamic—finding something to rebel against—remaining realistic—letting go of security

  Step Two: Creative Strategies

  A. CULTIVATE NEGATIVE CAPABILITY

  Keats on the creative process—definition of Negative Capability—Mozart and Bach—Einstein and Negative Capability—Shakespeare as ideal—Faraday on humility—Negative Capability as a tool to open the mind

  B. ALLOW FOR SERENDIPITY

  The brain as a dual processing system—definition of “serendipity”—William James and mental momentum—maintaining openness of spirit—Louis Pasteur and serendipity—Thomas Edison, serendipity, and the recording of sound—the fluid mind—serendipity strategies of Anthony Burgess and Max Ernst—cultivating serendipity—analogical thinking and Galileo

  C. ALTERNATE THE MIND THROUGH “THE CURRENT”

  Charles Darwin and the Current—definition of “the Current”—our primitive ancestors and the Current—short-circuiting the Current—Buckminster Fuller and artifacts—the importance of creating objects—feedback loop

  D. ALTER YOUR PERSPECTIVE

  Typical patterns of thinking to alter

  Looking at the “what” instead of the “how”

  Avoiding shorthand—focusing on the structure—getting a feel for the whole—the importance of relationships in science

  Rushing to generalities and ignoring details

  Shifting from the macro to the micro—Charles Darwin and the micro-study of barnacles—Leonardo da Vinci’s attention to micro-detail in painting—letting details guide you

  Confirming paradigms and ignoring anomalies

  Overdependence on paradigms—the value of anomalies—Marie Curie and the anomaly of radioactivity—the founders of Google and anomalies—anomalies fueling evolution

  Fixating on what is present, ignoring what is absent

  Sherlock Holmes and negative cues—Gowland Hopkins, negative cues, and scurvy—meeting unfulfilled needs—Henry Ford, negative cues, and the assembly line—reversing your emotional perspective—setbacks as opportunities

  E. REVERT TO PRIMAL FORMS OF INTELLIGENCE

  The intelligence of our primitive ancestors—the human brain as a multiuse instrument—grammar as a limitation—thinking beyond language—examples of famous people who thought in images—the limitations of memory—using diagrams and models—Schiller, Einstein, Samuel Johnson, and synesthesia

  Step Three: The Creative Breakthrough—

  Tension and Insight

  The high internal standards of Masters—letting go—Einstein, letting go, and the discovery of relativity—Richard Wagner completing his opera in a dream—how the brain reaches peaks of creativity—blocks that precede enlightenment—Evariste Galois’s sudden burst of genius—the need for tension—manufacturing deadlines—Thomas Edison’s manufacture of pressure

  Emotional Pitfalls

  Complacency

  Conservatism

  Dependency

  Impatience

  Grandiosity

  Inflexibility

  STRATEGIES FOR THE CREATIVE-ACTIVE PHASE

  1. The Authentic Voice

  John Coltrane

  2. The Fact of Great Yield

  V. S. Ramachandran

  3. Mechanical Intelligence

  The Wright brothers

  4. Natural Powers

  Santiago Calatrava

  5. The Open Field

  Martha Graham

  6. The High End

  Yoky Matsuoka

  7. The Evolutionary Hijack

  Paul Graham

  8. Dimensional Thinking

  Jean-François Champollion

  9. Alchemical Creativity and the Unconscious

  Teresita Fernández

  REVERSAL

  John Coltrane—August Strindberg

  VI.

  FUSE THE INTUITIVE WITH

  THE RATIONAL: MASTERY

  All of us have access to a higher form of intelligence, one that can allow us to see more of the world, to anticipate trends, to respond with speed and accuracy to any circumstance. This intelligence is cultivated by deeply immersing ourselves in a field of study and staying true to our inclinations, no matter how unconventional our approach might seem to others. This power is what our brains were designed to attain, a
nd we will be naturally led to this type of intelligence if we follow our inclinations to their ultimate ends.

  THE THIRD TRANSFORMATION

  Marcel Proust

  KEYS TO MASTERY

  Examples of Masters seeing more—the fingertip feel—a power that is mystified— high-level intuition—the Dynamic—gaining an intuitive feel for the whole—Jane Goodall’s feel for chimpanzees—Erwin Rommel’s feel for battle—the fusing of the rational and the intuitive—mastery at 20,000 hours—time as a crucial factor—make study time qualitatively rich—interpretation of Proust story

  The Roots of Masterly Intuition

  The Ammophila wasp—intuition and our primitive ancestors—mnemonic networks in the brain—Bobby Fischer and memory traces—engaging with complexity—gaining a tolerance for chaos—increasing memory capacity—examples of high-level intuition and youthfulness

  The Return to Reality

  Overview of evolution from the beginning—the interconnectedness of all life—the ultimate reality—our modern Renaissance—returning to the whole—the altered brain of the Master

  STRATEGIES FOR ATTAINING MASTERY

  1. Connect to your environment—Primal Powers

  The Caroline Islanders

  2. Play to your strengths—Supreme Focus