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Tolerance for Failure Is an American Value

Tolerance for Failure Is an American Value
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveils the original iPhone at the Macworld Conference on Jan. 9, 2007 in San Francisco. Jobs is one of many Americans who failed many times, until he succeeded wildly. Tony Avelar/AFP/Getty Images
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A Michael Jordan advertisement, aired in 1997, resonated with Americans: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life,” he says, “and that is why I succeed.”
Jordan was a phenomenal success from the get-go, but Nike marketers knew viewers would respect perseverance and relate to failure. His message bears repeating given that the United States faces external competition amid rapid economic change.
Fergus Hodgson
Fergus Hodgson
Author
Fergus Hodgson is the director of “ Econ Americas”, a financial consultancy, and publisher of the “ Impunity Observer” , a geopolitical intelligence service. He is the author of “ Financial Sovereignty for Canadians: Untether Yourself from the Ottawa Leviathan (2024).”
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