The OP and this thread (except for a few comments) could be summarized as follows: [barely testable social theory or hypotheses] [supported by a cliché or hist

The OP and this thread (except for a few comments) could be summarized as follows: [barely testable social theory or hypotheses] [supported by a cliché or historical anecdote]. In my humble and down-to-earth opinion the main takeaway from any talk about "cultures" or "societies" or any other similar human-like concepts (did you notice that we often talk about "cultures" like they are living people?) is the idea that certain traits (fear of failure in this case) could impact my own performance. The next logical step is to modify something relevant in my live to test the effects and adjust behaviour based on this information if needed. Repeat this or just walk by if there are no effects present.