THE NEW MONEY
Daniel H. Pink wrote a fascinating book, A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005). I have found the work to be extremely relevant to so much of what is happening in our society today. For one thing, Pink emphasizes that a new currency has debuted:
“ Baby boomers are entering the Conceptual Age with an eye on their own chronological age. They recognize that they now have more of their lives behind them than ahead of them. And such indisputable arithmetic can concentrate the mind. After decades of pursuing riches, wealth seems less alluring. For them, and for many others in this new era, meaning is the new money. ” (p. 61)
I believe meaning should always be more important than money. It is especially true as we enter the Conceptual Age. Intrinsically, people do not just want to work for a wage. They want to perform work that has meaning that also happens to pay a wage. This is the ideal. It happens when your skills, interests, and passions collide with opportunity. Moreover, it has never been more important than it is today.
Indeed, meaning is the new money. I genuinely hope you are extremely rich.
