By Robert Greene
The high point of power and intelligence comes to us in a period of tension when we face a deadline. It is the source of the greatest achievements and discoveries in history. When there is an urgent need to solve a problem or resolve a crisis.
Human beings have the ability to detach and think ahead. The emergence of the conscious reasoning mind vs. animals who are always locked in the perpetual present.
We live in a world that seems increasingly beyond our control. The less we attempt, the less chance of failure. If we don’t try too much in life, we limit our circle of action and we lose track of our inner calling/desire. We give ourselves the illusion of control and become powerless.
Human beings make a separation in our lives – there is work and then life outside of work where we find pleasure and fulfillment. You make money at work so you can enjoy the life outside of work. This is a waste of life. If we experience this time as something to get through on the way to real pleasure, the hours at work represent a tragic waste of the short time we have to live.
You are not tied to a particular position and your loyalty is not to a company. You are on your own and you are committed to Life’s Task of finding your calling.
The goal of apprenticeship is not money, a good position, a title, or a diploma, but the transformation of your mind and character.
Practical knowledge is the ultimate commodity, and is what will pay you dividends for decades to come – far more than the paltry increase in pay you might receive at some seemingly lucrative position that offers fewer learning opportunities. 55
The ability to observe any unfamiliar environment is a critical lifelong skill, to develop the habit of stilling your ego and looking outward instead of inward. 58
Tacit knowledge – a feeling for what you are doing that is hard to put into words but easy to demonstrate in action. Like riding a bike. 59
Your next phase will be one in which what your produce will be under constant scrutiny. This is as you move towards the end of your apprenticeship. 63
As we grow older our biases and sense of superiority become an impediment or learning disability. This is indoctrinated by what we learned in school or family and we close our minds off to possibilities. This does not exist in children. 74
When mastering a skill, time is the magic ingredient. You must have patience. The real impediment is yourself, your emotions, your boredom, panic, frustration, and insecurity. You have to have faith in the process and have patience. 77
What is a hacker? (Paul Graham) Being able to discover things on your own without having to follow a rigid path set up by others. You value self-discover and production of high quality things. 87
Life is short; you only have so much time and so much energy to expend. Your most creative years are generally in your late twenties and on into your forties. You can learn from books but mentors can streamline the process. 103
Ben Franklin – take a step backwards and do not get emotional. Exercise complete and radical acceptance of human nature. 130
To be truly charming and socially effective you have to understand people, and to understand them you have to get outside yourself and immerse your mind in THEIR world. 136
If you look at confrontations and only focus on what THEY have done to YOU then you are missing the point. Instead you must turn these situations around and figure out how YOU saw in others qualities they did not possess. Or how YOU failed to see the dark side of their nature. Don’t become cynical. The most effective attitude to adopt is SUPREME ACCEPTANCE. You cannot change such people but you must avoid becoming their victim. Just be an observer. 136-137
People will tend to judge you based on your outward appearance. If you are not careful and simply assume that it is best to yourself they will begin to ascribe all kinds of qualities that have little to do with you but correspond to what they want to see. You can use this to your advantage by dressing or looking a certain way. (Good looking guys are cocky) 155
Fools: They place more importance on short term matters – grabbing immediate money, getting attention from the public or media, and looking good. They are ruled by their ego and insecurities. They enjoy drama and political intrigue for their own sake. 163
The conventional mind: We no longer look at things as they are, noticing their details, or wondering why they exist. Our minds tighten up. We become defensive about the world we now take for granted and we become upset if our beliefs or assumptions are attacked. 176
Masters are those who display a high level of creative energy and retain a sizeable portion of their childhood spirit. Like visiting a new country and having nothing to rely on. 176
Serendipity: Moments of unstrained attention when something unexpected enters the mental sphere and triggers a new and fertile connection such as chance associations and discoveries. (This happens in the shower often). 184
“Chance favors only the prepared mind.” – Pasteur 185
In physical exercise, resistance is a way to make the body stronger, and it is the same with the mind. 195
Always work with deadlines. The lack of intensity otherwise makes it hard for the brain to jolt into a higher gear. Faced with a deadline the mind rises to the level you require. Ideas crowd upon one another. You do not have the luxury of feeling frustrated. 201
Creative activity makes us feel more alive than ever. The pleasure that comes from the overall process of creativity is of an intensity that makes us want to repeat it. 205
What makes successful entrepreneurs? Not the nature of their idea, or the university they went to, but their actual character – their willingness to adapt their idea and take advantage of possibilities they had not first imagined. (Paul Graham) 235
Adaptability – we do not hold on to our original idea out of sheer stubbornness or because our ego is tied up with its rightness. We must look at the world and the fluidity with which we can reframe what we see. Creativity and adaptability are inseparable. 236
Artists: Generally go in 2 directions. Creating something that blends into the landscape in an interesting way, or instead making something that stands out from the surroundings and calls attention to itself. 243
Intuition: Masters who suddenly possess heightened intellectual powers after years of immersion in their field. They are suddenly able to grasp and entire situation through an image or an idea, or a combination of images and ideas. Fingertip feel. 256
The problem with technology: it increases the amount of information at our disposal, but slowly degrades the power of our memory to retain it. Tasks that used to exercise our brain, remembering phone numbers, doing simple calculations, navigating and remember city streets, and now performed for us. 265
Many people say such things as “Mastery is for geniuses, the exceptionally talented, and the freaks of nature. I simply was not born that way” or “Success is all luck” or “Why bother? Better to enjoy my short life and do what I can to get by.” Mastery has nothing to do with luck but it is following your inclinations and listening to your deep voice that emanates from your uniqueness. The reason why you are drawn to certain activities or forms of knowledge. This cannot be verbalized or explained. It is simply a fact of nature. You must follow your voice to satisfy your deepest longings to create and express your uniqueness, it exists for a purpose, and it is your Life’s Task to bring it to fruition. 310