By John Gartner, Ph.D. -- Energy, drive, cockeyed optimism, entrepreneurial zeal, Yankee ingenuity, messianism, and arrogance are traits that have long been attributed to the "American character." But what is the source of this American temperament? Are we a nation fueled by predominating genetic characteristics predisposed to entrepreneurialism, risky innovative ventures, and a willingness to fail in the pursuit of an ideal?