This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Mastery" by Robert Greene. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What are some of the best quotes from the book Mastery? What can you apply to your own life to become a master in your discipline?
In Mastery, Robert Greene, famous for The 48 Laws of Power, argues that there is a clear path anyone can follow to achieve mastery, the highest level of creative excellence. He explains the three stages of mastery, and he argues that pursuing it yields a fulfilling life and great creative power.
Here are a few Mastery quotes that will give you insight into the book’s principles and inspire you to excellence.
Mastery Quotes
Each Mastery quote is followed by a brief explanation and context to help you understand what Greene means.
“The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus.”
Greene explains that time and effort inevitably yield mastery—he asserts that it takes around 20,000 hours. In other words, you’ll get there guaranteed if you put in the hours. However, the time you spend developing mastery must be intense and committed. You can’t just go through the motions, because half-hearted practice yields half-hearted results. Show up with vigor and verve, putting everything you’ve got into your work and taking every opportunity to learn, and you’ll reap far fuller rewards.
“Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, ‘Become who you are by learning who you are.’”
By acting according to your inner sense of direction, you’ll develop your creative potential and strive toward mastery. According to Greene, everything will naturally fall into place as you follow that inner force.
“The most effective attitude to adopt is one of supreme acceptance. … You are an observer of the human comedy, and by being as tolerant as possible, you gain a much greater ability to understand people and to influence their behavior when necessary.“
Greene suggests that a key element of social know-how is developing a realistic perspective of human nature and discarding any social naivete left over from childhood. He argues that people probably aren’t as good as you think, and he recommends that you avoid trying to change them. Instead, learn to work with them or make use of them.
“It is time to reverse this prejudice against conscious effort and to see the powers we gain through practice and discipline as eminently inspiring and even miraculous.”
According to Greene, hands-on learning is the best way to develop a skill. Here’s how he recommends practicing:
- Imitate a master: Find someone who’s mastered a skill and observe them. Imitate their actions, and repeat until you’ve grasped each aspect of the skill.
- Push through tedium: Practice is often tiresome, but pushing through tedium helps you mature. By showing up every day, you’ll develop the patience and humility to become good at anything.
- Build momentum: As you practice, you’ll get better. As you get better, you’ll come to enjoy practicing. As you come to enjoy practice, you’ll want to practice more. This “flywheel” cycles around, giving momentum to your skill-building.
As you practice, your brain develops to handle the skills you’re building. With time and repetition, they’ll become second nature.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Robert Greene's "Mastery" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Mastery summary :
- The clear path anyone can follow to achieve mastery
- An explanation of the three stages of mastery
- How learned conventions and familiar ways of thinking reduce creativity
