What happens if you stick at something long enough, and study it for so long, you have a different kind of intelligence. It's not an intellectual thing. It's almost like an animal intelligence. I call it our form of instinct, almost how a lion knows exactly where its prey is.

The quote "What happens if you stick at something long enough, and study it for so long, you have a different kind of intelligence. It's not an intellectual thing. It's almost like an animal intelligence. I call it our form of instinct, almost how a lion knows exactly where its prey is" by Robert Greene explores the concept of expertise and the unique type of intuition that develops through long-term study and experience. Greene suggests that after dedicating significant time and effort to a subject, a person develops a deeper, instinctive intelligence—a kind of knowledge that goes beyond intellectual understanding. This intelligence is more practical and instinctual, similar to how an animal instinctively understands its environment without having to consciously reason it out.

Greene is emphasizing the difference between rational, intellectual intelligence and the instinctive wisdom that comes from repeated practice and immersion in a field. Through consistent study and experience, individuals develop a form of intuition or gut feeling that guides their actions in ways that are not based on deliberate thought or reasoning. Just as a lion instinctively knows how to hunt, a person who has deeply studied something for years can rely on an almost unconscious understanding of it, making decisions with a clarity that doesn't require rational analysis.

The origin of this idea can be found in Greene’s work as an author, particularly in his books like The 48 Laws of Power and Mastery. Greene has spent much of his career studying the dynamics of human behavior and mastery, focusing on how individuals achieve expertise and how experience shapes the way people think and act. His interest in human nature and success is evident in this quote, which encourages people to pursue mastery in a way that allows their instincts and intuition to guide them.

Ultimately, Greene’s quote suggests that mastery involves not only intellectual knowledge but also the development of a second nature—an almost primal intelligence that becomes so finely tuned over time that it allows individuals to act decisively and effectively. It encourages the pursuit of deep knowledge in a field, with the belief that through experience, you will develop an instinctual understanding that can’t be easily taught, but can be cultivated through years of focus and dedication.