What makes you rare?

Being a freak is about being different, being unusual, being uncommon, being rare. One way to better understand your freak factor is to discover what makes you rare.

What is it about you that makes you different from most people?

Here is my list:

- At a height of 6'6", I'm taller than about 99% of people in the world. My tall stature might also contribute to greater reproductive success.

- I suffer from Morton's Toe, which means that my second toe is longer than my first. Only 10% of the world's population have this condition.

- I've completed a marathon, a feat only accomplished by .10% of Americans.

- I'm the father of three daughters but no sons. I can't find the exact statistics on this but apparently it increases my risk of prostate cancer, wearing nail polish and watching Strawberry Shortcake cartoons.

- My wife is 5'3". This means we have a height differential of more than one foot. That is not normal and it makes it hard to dance together. If you need to visualize this, you should know that, in our relationship, deodorant is more important than breath mints.

- I have a very small neck, 14.5 inches. I know that this is unusual because I can't buy shirts with that size and the proper sleeve length at traditional stores. I have to buy my clothes online. The good news is that my pencil neck decreases my risk for heart disease and sleep apnea.

- I earned a Doctor of Management degree. Only 25% of Americans have graduated from college and about 8% have graduate degrees. Approximately 1-3% have doctorates.

- I'm a nerd. I listen to and read about 50 books per year. My record is 100. Most people don't do this. The average is four books per year. Half of Americans read less than four (27% read none) and the other half read more than four. Many of my fellow nerds are also older and female.

An when you combine all of these rarities, it only adds to my distinctiveness.

What about you? What makes you rare? I'd love to see your list.

Remember that rarity, scarcity and differentiation increase your value. Diamonds and gold are a good example of this principle. They are valuable because they are rare. On the other hand, salt is almost free because there is so much of it.

Comments

[Term papers]

Man how you do this really hard, but you are too good.

[David Rendall]

Joseph,

I love it. Great examples! You have definitely taken the road less traveled. Keep it up.

Dave

[David Rendall]

Rick,

Thank you for sharing your story. It is a great example of the power of doing things differently.

I am a sucker for sleep. I struggle if I don't get 7-8 hours. Maybe I need you to teach me how to live with less.

Dave

[Joseph Sherman]

Dave,
Great examples. I love that you take your own advice and are proud of it.

What makes me rare? I am addicted to an international lifestyle.

I love to live and work abroad. I studied economics and German in Germany, Spanish and business in Mexico, worked in non-profit management and studied religious texts in Israel, and completed an international MBA based out of France. Do I have a hidden pot of gold that let me live for 4.5 years outside the US? No, I but I was fortunate to receive financial aid and lived on a shoestring. Even while I am in North Carolina, I am currently working on a project looking at government use of state oil fund revenues in Azerbaijan.

A report by the American Council on Education (ACE), Art & Science Group, and the College Board notes that “The reality, unfortunately, is that while a majority of students enroll in college with the expectation of studying abroad, less than 5 percent actually do during their college years,” said Richard Hesel, a principal at Art & Science Group.
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=International&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=25764

Of the 5% of American students who study abroad, over half (55.4%) study on Short-term programs in the summer summer or 8 weeks or less during the academic year. 40.2% went for one or two quarters, or one semester, and only 5.5% went for an academic year abroad.
http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org/file_depot/0-10000000/0-10000/3390/folder/68485/Open+Doors+Fast+Facts+2008.pdf

Less than 5% have one study abroad experience, and of those 5.5% study abroad for a full year, or 0.275 of the total student population to study abroad for more than a semester. I suppose the number having four or more (Germany, Mexico, Israel, France) is significantly lower. Using 5%, or .055 *.055 *.055 *.055 renders 0.000009150625 or 0.0009150625% of the US Student population. One more adventure and I will be one out of a million.

[Rick Cina]

1) I worked 4 jobs at the same time I went to graduate school, paid cash for my turn-of-the-century brick home within a month of graduating with that accumulated income, and paid off my student loans within two years, or by the age of 26. I have never had a mortgage. I have paid cash for all my vehicles (which includes 4 Volvos since '02), and have been living without debt since age 26 despite earning a small enough salary to qualify for WIC and the earned income tax credit until 2003 (age 32). My wife has been a stay-at-home mom for our 3 kids throughout this time period, so ours has been a single-earner home for the last 13 years.

2) I read an article in college that said that our bodies can be trained to accommodate less sleep, and that it's a myth that each of us needs at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Like deciding to become a vegetarian, our bodies can adjust to a decision to utilize 3 to 5 hours per night rather than 7 or more. So, since my college days, I have been staying up until 2 or 3 a.m. during the work week, and an hour or two later on weekends. I figure I am adding *years* of productive activity (I am a woodworker and an antique refinisher by night) to my life while still in my prime years. I have 5 more hours per day to accomplish what I wish to than the person who goes to bed at 10. That's an extra 35 hours per week of productivity and enjoyment, or the equivalent of an extra 76 days (24 hours) a year compared to the 10 o'clock sleeper. Sleep is wildly overrated.