In between working on homework and projects for classes, I have been slowly making my way through Thomas L. Friedman‘s book “The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century.” Unfortunately the library only had the second edition available (release 2.0), and I am hoping to be able to get my hands on the third edition sometime soon. Regardless, it is an excellent book, though the subject matter may be a bit heavy for some readers.
I have not finished the book yet. In fact, I am just past halfway. However, I came across a paragraph today that I thought was very thought-provoking. In the section I am reading, the author is discussing what people, and their society, need to do when they find their jobs in danger of disappearing because a computer, or someone else, can do the job faster or cheaper. Throughout the book, the author repeatedly emphasizes how the “flat world” impacts the American economy, and jobs in particular. The constant theme is that a flat world is not a bad thing, as long as you can re-adjust your expectations and skills to continue to provide a valuable contribution in the changing world economy. In this paragraph, the author provides what could very well be the key to whether the United States will flourish in a flat world, or quietly suffocate itself to death:
It is essential that we stay as open and flexible as possible. America’s cultural willingness to tear things down and rebuild them anew gives us an enormous advantage in the age of flatness, when you are required to tear down and build up more often to achieve innovation and growth. We made the transition from agriculture to industry, and then from industry to services. Now we need to go to the next phase, which is services delivered globally. Each of these transitions was wrenching in its own way, but we were able to accomplish each faster and more efficiently than any other major economy because we were open and flexible and let the market do its work – which it did, though not without pain for plenty of people. The transition to the flat world will be particularly wrenching because it is likely to touch many more white-collar workers. Nevertheless, this is no time to freeze up.
The World is Flat, Release 2.0, p. 316
What does that mean? It means that the way to prevent yourself from becoming redundant in a flat world is by facing the changes head on instead of shying away from them or complaining that someone somewhere else can do your job faster or cheaper. In a free-market, the job will always go to someone who can do it better, faster, or cheaper, preferably all three. In order to remain relevant, you must reinvent yourself to offer something that isn’t available anywhere else. Trying to ignore the problem, or saying “Buy American!” won’t help, and will probably make things worse as the economy of the rest of the world gallops ahead and leaves us in the dust.
As I mentioned earlier, this book is probably a little heavy for some readers, but it is definitely worth looking into. Even if you disagree with the author’s premise that the world is shrinking and becoming flat (not physically, but in regards to an individual’s ability to access information and work from just about anywhere in the world), the arguments he uses to support his ideas are sound and worth thinking about.
I am thoroughly looking forward to reading the rest of the book, though I may switch to Release 3.0 if I get my hands on it before finishing 2.0. Having enjoyed this book so far, I will most likely look into reading some of his other books once I am done with this one.
