7 min read ⌚ 

Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Who are the right-brainers, to begin with?

Well, mostly people who are not devoured by the darkness of survival. Those who thrive in creativity and freedom to express themselves.

But why even mention that the Right-Side will eclipse or overshadow the Left in years to come?

Let’s find out.

Who Should Read “A Whole New Mind”? And Why?

For argument’s sake, the whole right-left thing has nothing to do with politics! It’s a perspective that entails features and personalized decision-making that best describe the thriving culture.

This culture transforms the society and is entwined with the artistic, sophisticated and creative expression of one’s flair.

It all boils down to the idea that “A Whole New Mind” will benefit you because it may evoke an emphatic response to this call.

Do we all have an equal opportunity to excel in this particular realm? – Let’s see how Daniel Pink defines it.

About Daniel H. Pink

Daniel H. Pink truly is a linchpin in the realm of behavioral science and business.

As the author of

• Drive
• When
• To Sell is Human
• Free Agent Nation
• The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

… he continues to write in a provocative style.

“A Whole New Mind PDF Summary”

No one can deny the fact that our brains are an incredible blend of neurons, dendrites, and axons. The average one is composed of 100 billion cells, each of which is connected and assigned to transmit special signals.

This process basically controls how we act, move, breathe, think, etc.

Throughout history, people, societies, and physicians regarded the left side as the pivotal one. Let’s puzzle it out a bit.

According to Daniel, two general misinterpretations are floating around that need to be debunked.

1. The right brain is a savior
2. The right brain is a saboteur

To address the first, you have to realize that followers of the savior perspective hinge on empirical data and scientific evidence to understand the mechanism. It’s a process that induced a transition – from legitimacy to reverence.

According to them, the right brain merely reflects the noble and benevolent traits of human conditioning.

With regards to the saboteur position, adherents to this perspective attach weight to the idea that the right side is somehow inferior.

As a general rule of thumb – you have to understand that both brains are not under your control. You cannot turn on/off the switch and adjust them based on your beliefs. It’s one driving factor, without any inconsistencies.

If you like to dive deeper into technicality then you should know that:

• The Left focuses on categorization and details
• The Right zooms in on relationships and the bigger picture

All of these elements actually are an integral part of the brain, a mechanism that operates as a whole.

An old adage says:

There are two kinds of people in the world, those who believe that everything can be divided into two categories—and the rest of you.

Many professions such as lawyers, engineers, doctors, are also under scrutiny regarding the functioning of the brain. To label these people, you have to have an aerial perspective of the situation. Peter Drucker came as close as anyone could get and characterized them as knowledge workers.

Knowledge workers are people who unlike the docile workforce which relies on physical readiness and endurance to get a job done, earn a living based on the skills learned at school.

Well, their prowess most definitely is harder to acquire, because it’s predicated on analytical and theoretical thinking.  

In the age of abundance, if you are endowed with valuable knowledge, it’s much easier to distinguish yourself from the herd. Logic, rationality, and functionality would be your main tools to get the ball rolling. However, if their work is not appealing to the eye, few people will be interested in it.

Just a couple of words more for you to understand the nature of “plenty.”

Abundance elevates R-Directed Thinking another important way as well.

People’s lives have changed so much in the past century, and in the aftermath of this alteration, the focus has shifted from short-term thinking into the broader context.

Generating wealth has remained one of the key elements in our everyday lives, but not the only one.

It’s totally accurate to imply that the number of people trapped into poverty declines consistently over the years. On top of that, abundance as a way of looking at things has helped the less-developed societies to get access to goods and services previously unavailable to them.

One of them is electricity.

On this quest, Daniel met with a group of people from India who exhibited an enormous amount of talent in computer science, aerospace engineering; you name it.

In the US, a typical chip designer makes around $7,000 a month, while in India or Russia you can get the same quality and pay no more than $1,000. Thus, knowledge workers are rapidly changing the workforce and add to globalization.

Outsourcing is becoming an integral part of the modern-day organization, and you should not underestimate the long-term impact of it.

Next up, Daniel Pink addresses the whole revolution regarding market changes; from the industrial age to the digital era saturated with opportunities!

So, what does this have anything to do with the brain? Insofar as our brains are concerned, societies have built their cultures and cities on the backs of workers (people’s left brains). Nowadays, the emphasis falls on the right side, which embodies more artistic expression and freedom.

In the conceptual age or the age of abundance, a lot of people ponder the matter of outsourcing the work and transferring the financial burden to lower-wage countries.

On top of that, students in medical schools are taught to go beyond computer diagnosis and pay attention to the patient’s story. You can interpret it in countless different ways, but that is the consequence of the high-touch & high-concept process that is permeating the Western system.

• What does this mean?
• Can we bring our expectations into line with the new Conceptual Age and how?

The answer lies in the six-sense rule contrived by Daniel that guides the R-Directed aptitudes.

#1 Design

It goes without saying that creating, launching and designing a product is no longer enough. Nowadays, we must strive towards excellence because the markets have shifted from mass oriented to user-centric and exclusive.

The economic and social struggle has penetrated deep into the behavioral patterns, causing a massive shift in demand. Companies and organizations, in general, must do their best in making their products or services emotionally engaging and pragmatic.

#2 Story

In a world saturated with information and data, one must try hard not to delude itself. The story you tell and the picture you portray will make a valid argument, or spark a debate that will help you evaluate your ideas.

Somewhere along the line, you’ll be reprimanded or even chastised for making a point.

Nonetheless, you must stay firm in what you believe to be true, and stick to it. Also, you have to advocate for freedom of expression by allowing productive intercourse to take place.

#3 Symphony

It’s needless to say that the age of abundance requires specialization, above all else.

What does that mean?

Much of the white-collar work is currently under transition and is steered toward Asia. The rest of it falls under software and depicts the symphony of skills.

You may be misled into believing that analysis or data-tracking are in highest demand, when actually seeing the big picture, and pushing beyond traditional norms is on a higher scale.

#4 Empathy

Truthfully, the ability to think, contemplate, figure out solutions is what makes us unique.

It’s also totally inaccurate to lean on logic, as the only tool at our disposal. In a world filled with contrasts, being analytical isn’t the only solution.

To thrive in today’s world, you have to put up with many new concepts not tilted toward the extremes. Surely, empathy and the aptitude for forging relationships can be counted among those concepts.

#5 Play

Well, yeah, we all need to go crazy sometimes and lift the spirits of everyone around us. Games, laughter, playfulness are all necessary elements that could improve the quality of life in general.

The lightheartedness illustrated here serves a great purpose.

By no means should your seriousness be met with rebuffs, because there are times when being cold sober counts. Daniel reckons that conflating the idea of playfulness with the conceptual knowledge is probably the best approach.

#6 Meaning

Even third-world countries are starting to reap the benefits of the abundance age.

Living in a material plenty world has taken a toll on societal norms, but has freed millions of people from the everyday struggle for a piece of bread and roof above our heads.

In other words, we have the power to pursue subtler desires, goals, and spiritual maturity.

The future of jobs and societal structure will depend on the following three questions.

• Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
• Can a computer do it faster?
• Is my product or service in line with the non-material & abstract side of things?

Key Lessons from “A Whole New Mind”

1.      The Right-side keeps winning
2.      Transition is not bad
3.      Keep your chin up

The Right-side keeps winning

By now, you probably understand the necessity of mastering the R-Directed aptitudes and their absolute domination in the age of abundance.

The right side of the brain offers a genuine response to the powerful and emotional urge of the society. It’s a legitimate indicator that shows why the L-Direction is falling behind.

Transition is not bad

Well, we cannot force you to embrace change, but it is something you should do. The strange thing is even if you’ve been dragged into accepting only the left side (unconsciously), the transition will automatically take place.

The whole world is actually experiencing this change, without any visible instigators to back it up.

Keep your chin up

Well, not all people will easily fit into the Right-Brain category. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t be discouraged in the attempt to find your instinctive freedom.

Just be patient and try to blend into the biological twist.

Like this summary? We’d Like to invite you to download our free 12 min app, for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.

“A Whole New Mind Quotes”

Our Critical Review

That would be all folks.

We kind of got the feeling that society can’t do anything about this phenomenon.

The only thing left for us to do is to accept this transition, wholeheartedly. Well, if that’s the case, then we must become aware of the power emerging as a result of this acceptance.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.