A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Individuals who master multiple—sometimes contrary—realms. They speak many languages, and their lives are enriched by the variety of experience. They are “multi-”; they multitask, are multicultural, and manage multiple endeavors (134). 

The successor to the Information Age. This new age is characterized by a society and an economy that rely on innovation, empathy, and “big-picture capabilities” (2). Pink argues that those who want to succeed in this new era must master the six senses: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. This age is a cultural response to the effects of the Industrial and Information ages; abundance and outsourcing have necessitated a new, emotionally intuitive approach to business that cannot be replicated by computers or workers abroad. 

In 2000, researchers Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson classified 50 million Americans as a subculture group called Cultural Creatives. These individuals are embodiments of R-Directed Thinking because they see the big picture, easily synthesize ideas, are empathetic, and see “personal experiences and first-person stories as important ways of learning” (61). The researchers identify these traits as validating women’s perspectives because these abilities are often associated with femininity and womanhood.