Book Review of Mastery by Robert Greene

Robert Greene’s work Mastery is the fifth in series of books by a popular author of works advising the reader on how to expand their own opportunities for personal success. Works of this type are not particularly uncommon, and there is no shortage of books in the field of popular psychology offering “get ahead” strategies to the reader. Classic works of this type include Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking, and Robert Ringer’s Looking Out for Number One (Carnegie, 1936; Peale, 1952; Ringer, 1977). Greene’s work is still rather unique, however, in that he attempts to utilize the insights of contemporary studies of consciousness to advance his arguments. As Stangor indicates, human knowledge of how the brain actually works is still somewhat embryonic in nature, but the development of brain science has also advanced very rapidly in recent decades (Stangor, 2011).

Greene attempts to apply these varied scientific insights into practical advice on how to become a master of one’s chosen tasks. According to Greene, any effort of this type begins with the process of self-discovery (Greene, 2012). One needs to know what one’s calling actually is, and this is part of the process of growing and developing that Stangor describes (Stangor, 2011). Once one has found one’s calling, Greene insists that the next step is to procure an “apprenticeship” where one will spend an extraordinary amount of time cultivating one’s skills, and gaining valuable knowledge and insights. He recommends putting aside one’s ego when pursuing this task as pride is a barrier to learning. Stangor likewise describes the process of the learning behavior theory as one that must involve the acquisition of knowledge and skills through a painstaking process, and reflects the human capability for adapting to one’s environment (Stangor, 2011). Learning likewise reflects the process of consciousness development, and the means by which memories are stored. Greene describes consciousness as fluid state, and considers different states of mind to reflect the different layers of streams of consciousness.

Stangor recognizes the importance of nurture in the learning process. While the nature versus nurture debate is an old one and the consensus of scientific opinion has varied on the question, psychologists now display a general recognition of the importance of nurture over nature in the process of human development (Stangor, 2011). This emphasis on nurture from the field of psychology underscores the importance of Greene’s emphasis on opening one’s self to the learning process. The act of learning itself requires deep seated motivations on the part of the learner. Stangor likewise emphasizes the role of motivation in human behavior. Motivation is reflected in the human will, and Greene draws on the philosophies of Nietzsche regarding the notion of the “will to power,” which he interprets in terms of the ambition to become a master of some particular skill or endeavor. Greene points out that a barrier to learning can often be insecurity and a fear of moving outside of one’s own “comfort zone.” Greene regards learning as something that occurs exponentially (Greene, 2012). Learning is part of a process that begins slowly but builds up rapidly as one’s skills are enhanced. This insight from Greene affirms overlapping insights from Stangor’s discussion of developmental psychology (Stangor, 2011).

A simplistic interpretation of Greene’s work would be to describe him as an apologist for egotism. Yet this would be a mischaracterization of his ideas. Greene is not exhorting his readers to become ruthless or amoral people. Indeed, the nature of antisocial personalities described by Stangor would likely be a serious impediment to the process of self-development and self-awareness encouraged by Greene. As Stangor points out, a defining characteristic of sociopathic personalities is their recklessness and improvidence, with the additional psychological disability of a high time preference (Stangor, 2011). But the process of learning (“mastery”) described by Greene is one that requires extraordinary patience, a commitment to delayed gratification, and, ironically, a deep sense of humility (Greene, 2012). A truly creative, masterful person must be able to accept criticism, recover from failure, and recognize their own mistakes. Further, an antisocial person is not likely one that could become a master of any skill requiring ongoing and deeply intimate human interaction. Greene emphasizes the importance of “social intelligence,” which he describes as the ability to put one’s self in the place of another person. To accomplish this, one must have a highly functional sense of empathy.

It is also rather interesting how the insights of both Greene and Stangor concerning the process by which an individual assesses and judges other people overlap with each other. Stangor discusses how memories serve to shape the ways human beings evaluate each other (Stangor, 2011). Psychologists know that memories are reconstructions of past events, rather than playbacks. The implication of this insight is that one’s memories may be distorted by one’s perceptions at the time, or by subsequent experiences that have served to impact the process of memory reconstruction. A well-developed capacity for judging others, and doing so in a way that is both empathic and rational, is a formidable tool to have in one’s psychological arsenal. Such skills are particularly helpful with regards to the cultivation of one’s own social networks.

Greene describes the process of mastery as one that corresponds with the development of personal virtue, and this insight parallels Stangor’s association of learning with the maturation process. Indeed, Greene identifies certain psychological characteristics that he describes as “vices,” and that a person seeking mastery should seek to eradicate from their consciousness to the greatest degree possible (Greene, 2012). These include traits ranging from laziness and egocentrism to excessive conformism and a stifling rigidity. Greene regards the work of an aspiring master as an expressive effort, and indicates that winning the favor of others is dependent upon the quality of the work done. This is not a particularly novel concept. An individual who produces quality work will win the respect of others due to the meritorious effort that has been demonstrated.

Greene praises the inquisitive nature of children, and how children often seem to have boundless curiosity about their surroundings. Greene urges the reader to attempt to recall their childhood state where this kind of inquisitiveness was prevalent. This concept is reminiscent of another concept from popular psychology that was en vogue some years ago, that of “getting in touch with your inner child,” although the latter concept was strongly associated with the recovery movement for people who have experienced debilitating traumas and related personal dysfunctions. However, Greene shows that utilization of the psychological traits normally displayed by children can also enhance the development of human potential (Greene, 2012). Particularly important to this process of development is the power of imagination.

Many examples are provided by Greene of how these multiple characteristics which enhance human potential and creativity have been applied by figures from the past. Astounding accomplishments have often been the result. For instance, he discusses the limitless curiosity concerning virtually everything around him that Da Vinci exhibited even in earliest childhood. Marie Currie followed a similar path, and developed a fascination with his father’s laboratory work. Related to the importance of cultivating one’s skills early in life and following one’s natural curiosity is the expulsion of negative influences from one’s life. Greene identifies a wide variety of characteristics that are vital to success (Greene, 2012). The first of these is motivation and the ongoing persistence and self-discipline that motivation brings. Motivation must be accompanied by diligence and a powerful work ethic. Equally important is a very strong sense of focus.

Indeed, one uniquely interesting characteristic that highly successful people normally demonstrate is an obsessive focus on their topics of interests and on achieving their ambitions. It takes a rather unique personality to be willing to, for instance, devote the amount of time and energy necessary to becoming a superstar athlete or Olympic champion. Most people do not exhibit this level of commitment or endurance towards any particular task. Those who do maintain such a level of commitment must necessarily be highly confident that their goals will be achieved and that their efforts will prove to be fruitful. Obviously, one must also have a strong emotional investment in the task one has chosen to pursue.

A person must also approach extraordinary endeavors with a certain amount of boldness and fearlessness. It is now widely recognized by psychologists that some individuals possess a genetic capacity for fearlessness (Peale, 1995). This capacity can exhibit itself in a variety of ways. Such a person may pursue dramatic endeavors such as race car driving or rock climbing. They may also display an extreme sense of self-confidence that allows them to achieve high-reaching goals with relative ease when compared with the ordinary person. In negative instances, an innate inclination towards fearlessness may manifest itself as antisocial behavior, particularly if such an individual experiences abuse during their formative years.

An important limitation in Greene’s analysis and observations has to do with the matter of variations in innate intelligence to be found among human beings. Stangor observes that the insights of evolutionary psychology indicate that intelligence has a very strong hereditary and genetic component (Stangor, 2011). For instance, some people will naturally perform much higher on IQ tests than others. One need not accept the complete inelasticity of IQ test results, or ignore the possible environmental contributors to intelligence, to recognize that some people are simply more gifted, talented, smarter, and creative than others. Greene seems to imply that virtually anyone can become a Da Vinci, and this is the principal weakness in his otherwise compelling thesis. Peripheral limitations of this kind aside, however, Greene’s book offers a valuable addition to the literature concerning human potential and self-development.

References

Carnegie, D. (1936). How to win friends and influence people. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Diamond, S.A. (2008). The inner child: Has your adult self spent time with your inner childtoday? Psychology Today, June 2008. Retrieved fromhttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200806/essential-secrets-psychotherapy-the-inner-child

Flynn, J. R. (2012). Are we getting smarter? Rising IQ in the twenty-first century.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Greene, R. (2013). Mastery. New York: Viking.

Peale, N. V. (1952). The power of positive thinking. New York: Ballantine Books.

Peele, S. (1995). My genes made me do it. Psychology Today, July/August 1995, 50-53;62-68.

Ringer, R. J. (1977). Looking out for number one. New York: Funk and Wagnalls.

Stangor, C. (2011). Introduction to psychology. Nyack, New York: Flat WorldKnowledge, Inc.