Zhao found an interesting and surprising result. There was an inverse correlation between test scores and perceived entrepreneurship capabilities. The top PISA-performing countries of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan scored the lowest on perceived capabilities or confidence in their ability to start a new business.

This is an interesting result. It is troubling that test scores are falling, basic math and science skills are obviously important. However, if I had to pick a single characteristic that’s indicative of future success, especially as an entrepreneur, it would be the willingness to risk failure (if not failure itself).

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes. Theodore Roosevelt said :

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.