Americans are more likely to say they have qualities typical of entrepreneurs, polling company Gallup reports October 12.
According to the company, U.S. residents are more likely than those in the European Union or China to perceive themselves as competitive, confident risk takers.
Eighty-two percent of the 1,000 Americans Gallup polled last December say they are risk takers, compared to just 65 percent of the European and Chinese survey respondents. And 77 percent of U.S. respondents said they liked competitive situations, versus 55 percent of the 1,500 Europeans and 69 percent of the 1,000 Chinese respondents.
The variance in attitudes may have something to do with America’s role as an economic superpower. The U.S. participants’ confidence may also be an inherently American trait: In an October 6 speech, media baron Rupert Murdoch noted that American students, when surveyed, are consistently the world’s most confident.
Confidence and competitive spirit can be good things, but they should be channeled properly. For a young entrepreneur who wants to change the world, it’s fine to be confident – but a young person shouldn’t let his optimism bubble over into cockiness.
