Mastery
By: Robert Greene
Aliway Rating: 5 / 5
Mastery by Robert Greene was randomly gifted to me by my uncle a few weeks ago. When I received it in the mail I was surprised, but intrigued, because I had never really read anything close to a “self help” book before. Going into it I assumed it would be unable to provide me with any new advice or groundbreaking guidance that I didn’t already know, or hadn’t already thought about. Upon reading the first section focused on helping “Discover Your Calling” I quickly realized this wasn’t your average self help book. Robert Greene’s immaculately straightforward writing tells you what you need to hear without making you feel bad about yourself. Through his ruthless honesty, he is not only incredibly inspiring to the reader but he also provides very real and detailed case studies of the “Masters” throughout history that are absolute proof of the success one can achieve through the fundamental teachings of this book.
Out of these teachings, one idea prominently stuck in my mind. It reveals that viewing acclaimed figures which we all so fondly idealize as otherworldly geniuses with talents or abilities out of our reach (like Mozart, Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Einstein, etc…), actually undermines our own self-confidence, skewing our perception to believe that we could never achieve their level accomplishments. Mastery showcases the life stories of these figures in an excruciatingly realistic light, displaying their years of hard work, their shameless obsession and dedication to their calling or “Life’s Task,” and their rebellious attitudes making decisions based solely on what best suits them. Once you realize that these figures achieved greatness, or “mastery,” through dedicated commitment rather than otherworldly talent (so far as to undergo apprenticeships that last several decades long), you gain the confidence and courage to navigate through the hardships that will eventually allow you to reap the benefits of pursuing your dreams.
I absolutely loved reading Mastery by Robert Greene, and highly recommend it to anyone in their twenties right now. Whether you’ve already discovered your calling, or are still searching for it, this is the perfect book to push you to keep working towards your goals while also surpassing average expectations in order to become a true Master. Here are some of my favorite quotes and excerpts:
“We thrive by the collective activity of people supplying their individual talents. Without such diversity, a culture dies” p. 28
“Practical knowledge is the ultimate commodity, and is what will pay you dividends for decades to come” p. 55
“You avoid the trap of following one set career path...You see what kind of work suits you and what you want to avoid at all cost. You move by trial and error. This is how you pass your twenties. You are the programmer of this wide-ranging apprenticeship, within the loose constraints of your personal interests.” p. 89
“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.” p. 176
“You cannot have everything in the present. The road to mastery requires patience. You will have to keep your focus on five or ten years down the road, when you will reap the rewards of your efforts” p. 43
“Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life, which makes them constantly search for distractions and short-circuits the learning process” p. 60
“To reach mastery requires some toughness and a constant connection to reality…Developing discipline through challenging situations and perhaps suffering along the way are no longer values that are promoted in our culture.” p. 115
“When you look at the exceptionally creative work of Masters, you must not ignore the years of practice, the endless routines, the hours of doubt, and the tenacious overcoming of obstacles these people endured. Creative energy is the fruit of such efforts and nothing else.” p. 246