Daniel H. Pink's Critique of A Whole New Mind

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Will right-brainers rule the future? A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future, a book by Daniel H. Pink assesses this critical question. Pink’s book is divided into two parts. Part one lays out the broad animating idea, provides an overview of key differences between our left and right hemispheres, presents the case for why Abundance, Asia, and Automation pushes the world into the “Conceptual Age”. It illustrates why people who master high concept and high touch set the tempo for modern life. Part two of the book covers the six essential right brain abilities Pink described as needed to make it in the Conceptual Age. Design. Story. Symphony. Empathy. Play. Meaning. Pink devotes one chapter to each of these six senses, describing how they are being put to use in business and everyday life. Pink puts forth the thesis that we are moving out of the centuries of left-brain dominance and into a new era where right brain qualities will be prized and necessary and to thrive in this new Age we need to take on a whole minded approach to work and life.

Daniel Pink suggests that because of three forces; abundance, Asia, and automation today’s society is moving from a Knowledge Age into a Conceptual Age in which there is a greater need for the kind of thinking and attitudes characterized by the right hemisphere of the brain. Pink presents a strong case for how abundance produces a greater need for R-directed sensibilities. With abundance societies have begun to search for more beauty, spirituality, and emotion. Companies are differentiating based on “the aesthetic imperative,” or beauty, uniqueness and meaningfulness. Pink illustrates this by giving examples of converting mundane products in to objects of desire such as see...

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...g towards a Liberal Arts degree. I was studying things such as critical thinking, reasoning, analytical and knowledge-building skills. My studies were characterized L-directed thinking and focused on qualities like sequence, function, and literal meaning. In relationship to Pink’s thesis I am an L-directed thinker who lack in the areas describes in the book as his six senses and do not take a holistic approach to thinking. As a result of my disposition to L-directed thinking my career development strategy in part will focus on ensuring that I have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to manage a career in today’s economy and society. This will require R-directed aptitudes including design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.

Works Cited

Pink, Daniel H.. A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books, 2006. Print.

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