Mastery

“We could express this power in the following way: Most of the time we live in an interior world of dreams, desires, and obsessive thoughts. But in this period of exceptional creativity, we are impelled by the need to get something done that has a practical effect. We force ourselves to step outside our inner chamber of habitual thoughts and connect to the world, to other people, to reality.”

Greene delves into the power of creativity to propel us from the realm of introspection and ideation into actionable, tangible outcomes. He suggests that during moments of heightened creativity, we’re driven to transcend our usual mental patterns—those of dreams and obsessions—to engage directly with the external world, other individuals, and the stark realities of life. Greene articulates how this shift is not just a mental reorientation but a necessary step for creative ideas to manifest concretely, thereby emphasizing the dynamic interplay between inner vision and its realization in the physical realm.

“The great salvation for all of us is that we have inherited an instrument that is remarkably plastic. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors, over the course of time, managed to craft the brain into its present shape by creating a culture that could learn, change, and adapt to circumstances, that wasn’t a prisoner to the incredibly slow march of natural evolution. As modern individuals, our brains have the same power, the same plasticity. At any moment we can choose to shift our relationship to time and work with the grain, knowing of its existence and power. With the element of time working for us, we can reverse the bad habits and passivity, and move up the ladder of intelligence.”

Greene underscores the remarkable adaptability of the human brain, shaped by generations of cultural evolution rather than solely by biological inheritance. He emphasizes that, as modern individuals, we possess the same capacity for change and growth, able to transcend inherited traits and habits. By recognizing the plasticity of our brains and embracing a conscious shift in our approach to time and work, we can overcome inertia, reverse detrimental patterns, and elevate our intellectual capabilities.

“In our culture we tend to equate thinking and intellectual powers with success and achievement. In many ways, however, it is an emotional quality that separates those who master a field from the many who simply work at a job. Our levels of desire, patience, persistence, and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers. Feeling motivated and energized, we can overcome almost anything. Feeling bored and restless, our minds shut off and we become increasingly passive.”

Greene challenges the common notion that success in mastering a field is primarily driven by innate intellectual prowess, highlighting the crucial role of emotional and behavioral qualities such as desire, patience, persistence, and confidence. He suggests that