To be honest this story is one of many motivations that touched me to write this book. Similar stories happen every day in every corner of the world. That designer was a very good designer and that CEO who could control a large company should also be an experienced manager. And at that time the “user experience” brought by the designer was exactly what their company needed. If they could work together it would actually be a win-win result. But unfortunately the interview did not go well.
The source of communication barriers between different thinkers lies in the education system. But in fact we cannot simply blame schools. School education is essentially serving for employment. Organizations such as enterprises need more left-brained thinkers which also leads to school education systems building curriculum systems around left-brain abilities. Language math foreign languages etc. so-called main courses are all left-brain abilities physics chemistry biology etc. courses are also left-brain abilities. Only art and music classes are typical right-brain abilities but they are not tested and even disappear in schools while being taught.
There is no doubt that naturally left-brained thinkers will thrive in such an education system and be at ease while right-brained thinkers will initially feel very uncomfortable. Fortunately children’s resilience is always very strong. As we have been saying a smart right brain also comes with a smart left brain. When these children overcome their carelessness (actually divergent random sorting thinking mode) learn new sequential sorting thinking mode suppress their intuitive thinking learn to use analytical thinking suppress their emotional thinking learn to use rational thinking suppress their recklessness and become cautious parents and teachers are surprised to find these children have grown up.
Of course there are still some right-brained thinkers who can never adapt to such an education system so in order to take care of these special right-brained thinkers our college entrance examination has mercifully designed special art students leaving a special growth path for these children. These children holding their admission notice with a sense of inferiority towards left-brain ability courses and grateful for being able to enter art colleges for further study despite their low college entrance examination scores never thought it might be a problem with the education system. These right-brained children at this time holding their admission notice with their brains full of longing for the future will not waste time using so-called logic to think about why college entrance examination must test language math foreign languages but not art music short videos such ridiculous questions.
So except for those art school freaks right-brained thinkers other children further strengthen their left-brain abilities in new higher left-brain education systems whether they are real left-brained thinkers or disguised left-brained thinkers. These children were then sent to enterprises hospitals research institutes scientific research units became managers doctors engineers and scientists continued to train and use these left-brain thinking methods in their respective work. Therefore in today’s society right-brained thinkers are as rare as left-handers.
We do not have historical statistics on the proportion of right-brained thinkers. But at least in human history the defeat of right-brained thinkers was actually a very short period of time. In the age of gods right-brain abilities were a top-notch ability dance and art were professions for communicating with gods. Even in the age of kings right-brain abilities and left-brain abilities were still equally divided. In ancient China rites and music were equally important Confucius said: “Song and music are the harmony of benevolence.” It was only in the age of technology that left-brain abilities rose up and completely crushed right-brain abilities.
And now the world has changed again and right-brain abilities have returned to center stage. We are in a new era where innovation is the theme of our time. And right-brain abilities are key to the success or failure of innovation. People often say that abilities determined by the right brain such as imagination creativity etc. are critical to innovation. But in fact the real key is not here or at least not as it appears on the surface.