Today’s collection of Robert Greene quotes will teach us that each and every one of us has the ability and potential to become a master in something.
Robert, author of bestselling books: The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and Mastery is a well-respected writer who has spent his life studying the lives of history’s most powerful figures. He has found that mastery in any field takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve.
So if you want to become a master in your craft and best at what you do, these Robert Greene quotes on mastery will be perfect for you.
These quotes provide some profound insights into his personal philosophy on mastery. You can take these insights as guidance to inspire success along your journey to becoming a master in your craft.
Powerful Robert Greene Quotes About Mastery
1. “Mastery is not a function of genius or talent, it is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular filed of knowledge.” —Robert Greene, Mastery
2. “The pain and boredom we experience in the initial stage of learning a skill toughens our minds.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
3. “Do not wait for a coronation; the greatest emperors crown themselves.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
4. “Do not envy those who seem to be naturally gifted; it is often a curse, as such types rarely learn the value of diligence and focus, and they pay for this later in life.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
5. “The truth is that creative activity is one that involves the entire self – our emotions, our levels of energy, our characters, and our minds.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
6. “The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
7. “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
8. “Everything that happens to you is a form of instruction if you pay attention.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
9. “It is often the height of wisdom to find the perfect mentor and offer your services as an assistant for free.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
10. “In order to master a field, you must love the subject and feel a profound connection to it.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
11. “No one is really going to help you or give you direction. In fact, the odds are against you.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
12. “We must create our own world or we will die from inaction.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
13. “There are two kinds of failure. The first comes from never trying out your ideas because you are afraid, or because you are waiting for the perfect time. This kind of failure you can never learn from, and such timidity will destroy you. The second kind comes from a bold and venturesome spirit. If you fail in this way, the hit that you take to your reputation is greatly outweighed by what you learn. Repeated failure will toughen your spirit and show you with absolute clarity how things must be done.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
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14. “If we experience any failures or setbacks, we do not forget them because they offend our self-esteem. Instead we reflect on them deeply, trying to figure out what went wrong and discern whether there are any patterns to our mistakes.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
Enjoying these Robert Greene quotes? Also check out our quotes by Lao Tzu to create more success and happiness in your life.
15. “Most people are perpetually locked in the present. Their decisions are overly influenced by the most immediate event; they easily become emotional and ascribe greater significance to a problem than it should have in reality.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
16. “You must avoid at all cost, the ida that you can manage learning several skills at a time. You need to develop your powers of concentration, and understand that trying to multitask will be the death of the process.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
17. At your birth, a seed is planted. That seed is your uniqueness. It wants to grow, transform itself, and flower to its full potential. It has a natural, assertive energy to it. Your life’s task is to bring that seed to flower, to express your uniqueness through your work. You have a destiny to fulfill. The stronger you feel and maintain it — as a force, a voice or in whatever form — the greater your chance of fulfilling this life’s task and achieving mastery.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
18. “The moment you rest, thinking that you have attained the level you desire, a part of your mind enters a phase of decay.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
19. “Some people never become who they are; they stop trusting in themselves; they conform to the tastes of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true nature. If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become what you were fated to become — an individual, a Master.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
20. “Power is not what we do but what we do not – hasty and unwise actions that we repeat every day and which ultimately bring us into trouble.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
21. “Your faith in yourself should overcome your insecurities. Imagine yourself a king and you will become a king.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
22. “It is a curse to have everything go right on your first attempt.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
23. “Chance favors on the prepared mind.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
24. “In the end, the money and success that truly last come not to those who focus on such things as goals, but rather to those who focus on mastery and fulfilling their life’s task.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
25. “You are like a hunter: your knowledge of every detail of the forest and of the ecosystem as a whole will give you many more options for survival and success.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
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26. “The need for certainty is the greatest disease the mind faces.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
27. “Just as a well-filled day brings blessed sleep, so a well-employed life brings a blessed death.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
28. “Our levels of desire, patience, persistence, and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
29. The best way to neutralize our natural impatience is to cultivate a kind of pleasure in pain — like an athlete, you come to enjoy rigorous practice, pushing past your limits, and resisting the easy way out.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
Which of these Robert Greene quotes were you most inspired by?
You can be a master of anything. The key is to show up and put in the work every day, for as long as it takes. Robert Greene says that mastery requires both “a strong will” and “patient persistence.”
This means you need to keep going even when things get difficult or feel like they’re not working out. So often we give up because something doesn’t come easily.
But this mindset will only serve to hold us back from success! If there’s an area where you want more expertise, stop settling for mediocrity just so life feels easier right now. Put in the time and energy needed for true mastery; your future self won’t regret it!
If you haven’t read the book Mastery by Robert Greene yet, be sure to check it out.
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