Boundless optimism and &quot;the power of positive thinking&quot; are uniquely American.<p>It&#x27;s generally assumed that positive thinking is how you get ahead (another American belief), but that doesn&#x27;t seem to be the case: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.newyorker.com&#x2F;currency-tag&#x2F;the-powerlessness-of-positive-thinking" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.newyorker.com&#x2F;currency-tag&#x2F;the-powerlessness-of-p...</a>