Remember that MC Hammer song back in the early 1990s called "U Can't Touch This". After reading Chapter 6, this was the first thing that popped into my head. Talking about how as Americans, or even the world population, all need to become untouchables.In the beginning, Friedman says instead of telling his kids "Finish your dinner, people in China are starving," he tells them "Finish your homework, people in China and India are starving for your jobs." This is funny but very true. With as many universities we have in the country (over 4,000) and scholarships and grants (over $1 billion each year) that are available, we should all try to learn as much as we can. That is the main reason I decided to pursue a MBA. It will help me one step further in gaining that "Untouchable" status.
I need to begin to think of ways on how to make myself into an Untouchable. If I can specialize in a certain area or have a specific skill, this will give me a big advantage and big sigh of relief. I will not have to worry about my work/job being outsourced to someone on the other side of the world. I'm very creative, so that's definitely a plus. But I do need to specialize in something.
The word the author describes is to have skills that are "unfungible"- work that can NOT be digitized or easily substitued. I plan on going to the movie business (ultimately be a producer) and this is not exactly a job that can be outsourced or given to a computer. Well, at least not yet. :)
So go to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMzoBkaFxh4) and watch MC Hammer "U Can't Touch This". Hopefully it'll give you motivation to become an untouchable.
2 comments:
I can't believe you brought up MC Hammer, he definitely was not an Untouchable. But boy he could move. I liked this chapter, because Friedman actually talks about something that's going to happen in the future, not something past or present. We do need to make ourselves Untouchable, as I said in my blog, Yesterdays Bachelor is todays Masters. We are stil in the lead with our graduate degree, but will still have to continue our education through our life. Foreigners have the bi-lingual variable on us, which is one element that hurts Americans big time. I also used the dinner and school quote also, that was a good one.
You're hallarious, Alex :) I noticed with student teaching that the smartest students are those from other countries. I don't remember this being the case when I was growing up. What Friedman's saying is true ... they are wanting and are preparing to take our (American) jobs.
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