The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention argues that no two countries that are both part of the same global supply chain will ever fight a war as long as they are each part of that supply chain.
Thomas FriedmanRead
No matter what your profession – doctor, lawyer, architect, accountant – if you are an American, you better be good at the touchy-feely service stuff, because anything that can be digitized can be outsourced to either the smartest or the cheapest producer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
In a digitized world, personal skills are crucial for standing out in any profession.
Thomas Friedman's quote emphasizes the importance of interpersonal skills in the professional realm, particularly in an era where many services can be automated or outsourced. He suggests that while technical expertise is important, the ability to connect with others on an emotional level is what truly sets a professional apart in a competitive market.
Themes
SkillsInterpersonalDigitizationOutsourcingProfession
In practice
Example use cases
During a job interview, you could use this quote to highlight the importance of soft skills in your field.
More from Thomas Friedman
All quotes →When it comes to dealing with the world's climate and energy challenges, I have a simple rule: change America, change the world.
Thomas FriedmanRead
The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist -- McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the builder of the F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley's technologies is called the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
Thomas FriedmanRead
Do you know what my favorite renewable fuel is? An ecosystem for innovation.
Thomas FriedmanRead
If you don't visit the bad neighborhoods, the bad neighborhoods are going to visit you.
Thomas FriedmanRead
Inspiring conduct has so much more of an impact than coercing it.
Thomas FriedmanRead
Similar quotes
Technological defeatism - a belief that, since a given technology is here to stay, there's nothing we can do about it other than get on with it and simply adjust our norms - is a persistent feature of social thought about technology. We'll come to pay for it very dearly.
Evgeny MorozovRead
It's wonderful to move forward technologically, but we cannot forget that we are human beings who thrive on relationships, who thrive on interconnectivity, who thrive on sharing your feelings and emotions.
Goldie HawnRead
Given that everyone's got a voice, it's the age of the democratisation of information through digital technology. That means women can rise up, and people of colour can rise up, and these stories are much more present to us. And that's great.
Tim MinchinRead
Technology has moved away from sharing and toward ownership. This suits software and hardware companies just fine: They create new, bloated programs that require more disk space and processing power. We buy bigger, faster computers, which then require more complex operating systems, and so on.
Douglas RushkoffRead
It is important to distinguish between the power of the internet to make the great change it can, and the limits and vulnerabilities of that change without real-time political mobilization deployed globally to protect those who venture out, especially in closed societies, into the heady new vistas it offers.
Naomi WolfRead
[The internet] ought to be like clay, rather than a sculpture that you observe from a distance.
Tim Berners-LeeRead