Module 6

Free trade is trade between countries without restrictions such as tariffs or taxes. Free trade helps provide lower prices and better quality goods and services. Free trade allows individuals to specialize in areas of interest even if there is little need for their specialty in the country they live. This breeds competition amongst those who work in the same field and helps motivate a creative atmosphere. Free trade is generally thought of as a positive thing in theory. The negatives associated with free trade have come from those who believe “American jobs” are being shipped overseas when they should remain here in the states. I think free trade is important because the world is not a fair place and free trade helps to even out the imbalance. People born in countries with little or no education should not be forced to be manual laborers. The person who can do a job best should be able to do that job without regard to where they live.

The term “New Middler” refers to what a person needs to do now to be mediocre compared to what people in the past had to do. Some of the skills  Friedman talks about to become a new middler are: adaptability, the ability to collaborate, the ability to explain complex ideas and people skills. These skills in the past may have taken someone to the top of their field but with the advancement the world has seen recently these skills are necessary to stay competitive.

Friedman discusses the formula CQ + PQ > IQ. CQ stands for “Curiosity Quotient”. PQ stands for “Passion Quotient”. Basically Friedman believes that a person who is passionately curious will do a better job than someone who may be smarter but has little passion for the job. A person who is passionately curious, even if they are not quite as smart , will work harder and be more invested than someone who is merely doing a job because they are smart enough to do it. An example that comes to my mind of CQ +PQ > IQ is not so much about separate people but about one person and different subjects. My son is in eighth grade and hates homework. Most things he needs to complete his homework are available on the internet and all he needs to do is search for them yet he spends hours sitting staring at his homework complaining that he can’t do it. Then about a week ago he was invited to a party but was never given the address. He spent fifteen minutes calling, texting and messaging everyone he knew until he had the address. Then when the address wouldn’t come up on his phones GPS he googled a map of the area on my computer and found the address and printed it off. With his homework he has the IQ but no passion while with the party he had the passion and worked hard to overcome his lack of information.