Revenge of the Right Brain: A worthy reading

When I started reading ‘Revenge of the right brain’, the first thing that struck me out was the title itself. I thought it must be some mythic story about the right brain which avenges upon another. But, surprisingly, when I read it, I found, it is not a story but a reality. A truth of the Globalized 21st century. The rapid growth of technology. The flow of information has become the quintessential quality of today’s ‘Flat World’. This article unveils the fact of the present world and predicts the key for future success. However, I also found the topic, as a ‘multidimensional dilemma’. Before I get into my judgmental views about this, here is the brief description of the Daniel H. Pink’s article – The Revenge of the Right Brain.

In today’s IT world, it we observe, there is an innumerable opportunity for creativity, artistry and Design. A thought of this itself becomes self explanatory for the need of artistry, concept and empathy. The value given for these aspects are keener. Daniel describes the recently developed world into 2 categories:

1. The Information Age
2. The Conceptual Age

The revolution of IT and the capitalism belongs to the Information Age, where as the future will depend on the second, that is, the Conceptual Age, which represents artistry, empathy and skills. He rightly justifies his depiction about the transition of the world from Information to Conceptual Age, in a scientific way, i.e. through the cause and effect theory.

At first, he recalls the scientists’ notification of the functions of the left and the right brains. According to which, the left brain is responsible for logic, reason and thinking; where as the right brain is responsible for artistry, empathy and concept. Through this description, he moves to the actual facts and reasons which delivered the thought of the Conceptual Age. He presents it through 3 causes: –

1) Asia - through the off shoring and the out sourcing, doing the job of the left brain
2) Automation - The calculation, logic and the Mathematics are easily managed by the automated computers and the software.
3) Abundance - Along with the flow and abundance of the information, there is an abundance resource also.

Hence, the Asia, Automation and Abundance, through its own hysteric ways create the earnest for the transition of the Conceptual Age.

In the beginning of this write up, I have tried to project on the words ‘multidimensional dilemma’. I have used the word dilemma, because, the article, at first reading cannot be digested. Because, we will doubt the quantity and quality of the right brain’s usage. Has it not been used till now at all? If we observe, can only left brain (the only half part of the brain) bring the IT success, which it has already brought? All these questions put us in a dilemma as to how far the writer is authentic!
Secondly, it is again a dilemma or another dimension of the whole essay, i.e. if we observe it carefully; the essay does not talk only in terms of materialistic success but also about transcendental, compassionate aspects of the human beings.

At the end, Daniel addresses the young men and women. He says, “Go right, young man and woman, go right”. We can infer a transcendental advice given by Daniel to youngsters, who are lost in the world of computer programs, software and IT processing. Men and Women, who are forgetting the humanity, goodness and empathy. Every one is becoming so selfish, that there is no room for emotions. So Daniel is asking people to come back and claim the rights of the right brain and use it accordingly.