A Whole New Mind

Pink's satirical observations unveil how America's want of everything, and the abundance of the products they want, has caused the importance of these items to decrease and for many Americans to look for a broader meaning to their lives. An example of this is Pink's discussion on how "products can not be just reasonably priced and adequately functional, but must also be beautiful, unique, and meaningful." Pink compares the products from his childhood in the seventies to the products that are available today, and notices a massive difference. While many of the products in the seventies were plain, but still functional, many of the products today, including unsavory items like trash bins and toilet brushes, have designer labels. The products still function, but have to look good while functioning. This shift shows the way the world is beginning to move, away from simple pleasures to elaborate products that have hidden meanings. The original products were a more right brain oriented design, but the new products show how the left brain is also coming into play more often. Instead of products just appealing to the analytical portion of the brain, they must also hit the creativity in the brain to sell any of the product, in other words, meaning that the products must have more than one dimension. I mean, who doesn't want a toilet brush that makes your heart and mind begin to race? Another example of Americans trying find the broader meaning in their lives is the fact that the standards of living in most of the world have increased, while personal, family, and life satisfaction have not increased very much at all. The availability and cost of products in the world may have caused a rise in material stability, but at the same time, done next to nothing for the happiness of the individuals purchasing the items. Many people all over the world live in contented state with all of the possessions they have, but truly not be happy with their lives, no matter how much they own. The old saying, "Money does not buy happiness", applies very nicely to this situation. The material stability of people all over the world has given many people the ability to pursue different ways to happiness, through meditation to evangelical pursuits. This change further shows the shift of the mind away from the analytical side of the brain to the creative side, where more abstract thought can be used and understood. With more people looking for the meaning of life, the world will not be content with just accepting the old ways of life and explaining events, but will be continually searching for the great "This is how the world works" explanation. In conclusion, Pink's look at the great shift from material pursuits to the search for the greatest meanings in life is visibly etched out and explained through his discussions of the change in products and the increasingly more common-place pursuit of life's big questions.