[crdoconnor]

Boundless optimism and "the power of positive thinking" are uniquely American.

It's generally assumed that positive thinking is how you get ahead (another American belief), but that doesn't seem to be the case: http://www.newyorker.com/currency-tag/the-powerlessness-of-p...

[volaski]

How is something as common as "positive thinking" unique to American? I don't understand how you picked up that idea. It's like saying "being courteous to elders" is uniquely Chinese.