Right Makes Might
Oprah recently interviewed Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, about how “right brain thinkers are wired for 21st century success.” Pink proposes that “the three A’s – abundance, automation, and Asia” have ushered in the Conceptual Age, during which right brain skills such as design and storytelling are becoming more valuable in the work place and beyond. He points out that the outsourcing of automated work to Asia coupled with the abundance of available information has renewed the search for meaning, especially among baby boomers pondering what kind of legacy they’ll leave behind.
Oprah and Pink touch on other important facets of transformation such as play, empathy, inventiveness, and “symphony” or “big picture thinking,” yet the dialogue doesn’t stray much beyond the palatable realm of personal affirmation and career possibilities. Perhaps the personal and career-centric idea of “21st century success” is the first step in ameliorating a greater shift for baby boomers. The interview concludes with a feel-good factoid that echoes the need for validation that has become a cliché among talk show hosts: “Roughly 100 baby boomers turn 60 every 18 minutes in this country. Imagine the collective force of that. So I think that this widespread search for meaning is one of the most important things going on in American life today.”
Story suggested by Corey Appleby.
Image: "left-brain-right-brain" by vaXzine on Flickr via Creative Commons licensing.
Tweet- 5-13-09
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That picture?
I agree with him
The gap between the cultural and work traditions of the Boomers and Gen Y are going to turn business values upside down (and flip them from left to right, too) as the boomers become pensioners. It's already happening.
Social media in particular is already revolutionizing business, and I think what makes it so powerful is that it allows us to more easily find products and proprietors that we really appreciate on a personal level. Smart businesses are catering more to what we find aesthetically and emotionally attractive, and are no longer primarily concerned with the traditional values of price and practicality.
In my parents' generation, the company that got the bulk of the business was usually the older and more established brand, or the one who had a store near you. This environment probably favored hierarchical, analytical approaches to business. But today it's often the more creative, more buzz-worthy outfit that becomes dominant.
Very exciting time to be alive.
www.raptitude.com -- The gentle art of sanity amidst civilization
I'd say that's a big step in the RIGHT direction!
Not too excited about this
The left brain has its proper rational function complementary to the right brain and is not necessarily a grim duty-driven workaholic as portrayed in the cartoon.
If the cartoon were more comprehensive, there would be people getting stoned and having sex in the right brain, not just jogging or engaging in other recreational activities that are acceptable to mainstream society.
A word of caution: Oprah is not to be trusted. She's a shrewd manipulative media maven interested chiefly in her own advancement.