Pink Chapter 3
High Concept, High Touch

21st Century

Creators & Empathizers

Emphasis on Right-Directed Thinking

Right-Directed Thinking & Left Directed Thinking are both valuable and necessary to be successful

"Mere survival today depends on being able to do something that overseas knowledge workers can't do cheaper, that powerful computers can't do faster, and that satisfies one of the nonmaterial, transcendent desires of an abundant age."

"...high concept involves the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention"

High concept is on the rise is many modern countries including the U.S. and Japan

In Japan some are starting to refer to this focus as "education of the heart"

"High touch involves the ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in one's self and to elicit it in others, and to stretch beyond the quotidian, in pursuit of purpose and meaning"

High touch is also on the rise in many modern countries including the U.S. and Japan

Includes the capacity for compassion, care, and uplift

MFA & MBA

There is a growing respect and value for individuals with artistic and creative backgrounds. Many large companies and organizations are increasingly hiring people with MFAs

"...an MFA is now one of the hottest credentials...Corporate recruiters have begun visiting the top arts grad schools in search of talent"

The number of people studying the arts has drastically increased over the past ten years

"The number of graphic designers has increased tenfold in a decade' graphic designers outnumber chemical engineers by four to one"

"Since 1970, the United States has 30 percent more people earning a living as writers and 50 percent more earning a living by composing or performing music"

IQ and EQ

Emphasis on test taking has many weaknesses

IQ does not equate to success...it takes much more than Left-Directed Thinking to be successful

IQ test also does not test many intrinsic characteristics that are associated with success and good leadership

Emotional Intelligence is very important, but very infrequently used, understood, or valued

Many opportunities are not accessible if an individual does not succeed on standardized tests such as the SAT

"'As people mature,' writes psychologist David Wolfe, 'their cognitive patterns become less abstract (left-brain orientation) and more concrete (right brain orientation) which results in a sharpened sense of reality, increased capacity for emotion, and enhancement of their sense of connectedness"

It is important for individuals to search for meaning, live their lives with purpose, and be internally motivated

Cultural Creatives

Account for 1/4 of U.S. adults

Live with many elements of an Right-Orientated approach to life

See the big picture, good at synthesizing, value women's perspectives, feel and practice empathy and sympathy, practice seeing things from different perspectives, utilize personal experiences, and are caring towards others