Pourquoi 99% des gens n’entreprendront jamais

In 1967, psychologist Martin Seligman conducted an experiment where dogs were placed in cages with an electrified floor on one side and a safe side, separated by a low barrier. One group of dogs was subjected to inescapable electric shocks, while another group could stop the shocks by pressing a panel. When later placed in the cages with the barrier, the second group, having experienced control, easily jumped to the safe side. However, the first group, having learned that their actions were futile, lay down on the electrified floor without attempting to escape, even though freedom was inches away. Seligman termed this "learned helplessness." Fifty years later, in 2016, neuroscience research inverted Seligman's conclusion: passivity is not learned; it is the default behavior. Control, or the ability to act, is what must be learned and constructed. The speaker argues that 99% of people live like the first group of dogs, not due to weakness or laziness, but because their environment has taught them the barrier is insurmountable. The speaker shares his personal journey, starting with low-paying jobs at 14 and working through college, feeling trapped in a similar "cage." He describes moving from questioning if he could afford a restaurant meal to a point where that question no longer exists, attributing his success not to superior intelligence or courage but to realizing the barrier was an illusion. A 2023 Gallup study on global employee engagement revealed that only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged in their work. This means 87% go through their workday on autopilot, with 63% being "not engaged" and 24% "actively disengaged," meaning they are deeply unhappy and negatively affect those around them. This translates to 900 million non-engaged and 340 million actively disengaged people globally, costing an estimated $7.8 trillion annually, or 11% of global GDP. The speaker posits that people remain in unhappy jobs for the same reason Seligman's dogs stayed: their brains tell them moving won't change anything, that the barrier is too high. This phenomenon is explained by several psychological biases. In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky discovered "loss aversion," where the pain of losing something is 2.25 times more intense than the pleasure of gaining the same amount. Rationally, they should weigh equally, but the human brain prioritizes survival, making losses more dangerous than equivalent gains. This means risking €1,000 requires a potential gain of at least €2,250 for the brain to consider it. When applied to entrepreneurship, leaving a stable job, even an unhappy one, is perceived as a significant loss, amplified by this bias. In 1988, Samuelson and Zeckhauser identified the "status quo bias," showing that people are 12 to 37 percentage points more likely to choose an option simply because it is the current default. This means the brain advises against change not because the alternative is bad, but because it’s different from what one is already doing. Solomon Asch's 1951 conformity experiment demonstrated that 75% of participants conformed to a group's obviously wrong answer at least once, simply to avoid standing out. Applied to entrepreneurship, this means societal pressure from friends, family, and colleagues who follow traditional career paths can deter individuals from pursuing alternative trajectories, fearing judgment or exclusion. Naomi Eisenberger's 2003 UCLA study showed that social rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain. The anterior cingulate cortex, associated with broken bones, lights up when people are excluded, even from a simple online game. This suggests that the fear of judgment from others is not a weakness but a deeply wired survival signal. In France, this is called the "syndrome du grand coclico" (tall poppy syndrome), where success or standing out is met with subtle but effective remarks and skepticism, effectively killing entrepreneurial projects. The Dunning-Kruger effect, identified by David Dunning and Justin Kruger in 1999, reveals that less competent individuals overestimate their abilities, while highly competent individuals (62% of the population, according to a meta-analysis) underestimate theirs, suffering from imposter syndrome. This implies that self-doubt before launching a project might actually be a sign of competence. Furthermore, 74% of millennials believe most millionaires inherited their wealth, a narrative that discourages action. However, studies show that 79-88% of millionaires are self-made, having worked, saved, and invested for an average of 28 years before reaching their first million. This false narrative provides an excuse for inaction. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024 revealed that 49% of people globally (42.7% in France) would not launch a business due to fear of failure, even when seeing a good opportunity. While 17.2% of adults intend to create a business within three years in France, only 8.7% actually do. This gap is significantly smaller in countries like the US (14.7%) and Canada (19.8%). Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper's 2000 jam study illustrated "analysis paralysis": more choices lead to less action. When offered 24 varieties of jam, more people stopped to taste, but only a tiny fraction bought. When offered 6 varieties, 31% bought. This suggests that overthinking or waiting for the perfect plan, training, or moment leads to inaction. Historically, France had legal and cultural barriers against entrepreneurship, such as a ban on restarting a business after bankruptcy and the "code 040" which stigmatized failed entrepreneurs. While these formal barriers have been removed, the cultural mentality persists. In the US, failure is often seen as a learning step, whereas in France, it remains a "stain." This is reflected in the fact that only 58% of French people believe entrepreneurship confers high social status, the lowest among its reference group in the GEM. The speaker notes that in France, people often become entrepreneurs out of necessity rather than vision. The common belief that 90% of businesses fail within five years is false. According to INSEE, 61% of French businesses (excluding micro-enterprises) are still active after five years. Even US data shows 50% survive five years. The pervasive narrative of high failure rates discourages potential entrepreneurs. James Dyson, Colonel Sanders, and Tim Ferriss are examples of individuals who faced numerous rejections and failures before achieving massive success, demonstrating that experience, including failure, significantly increases the chances of future success. Failure is part of the success process; the only true failure is not trying. Thomas Gilovich and Victoria Medve's 1994 study on regrets found that, in the long term, 84% of people regretted things they *hadn't* done, rather than mistakes they *had* made. When actions fail, the brain finds consolation; when nothing is done, there is only the void of what could have been. Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, found that the number one regret of dying patients was not having the courage to live their own life, followed by working too much. Research by Professor Outi Stéphane (2020) shows entrepreneurs score higher than employees on happiness, meaning, and autonomy. A study in the Journal of Business Venturing identified "meaning" as the decisive factor, with entrepreneurs' superior well-being "almost entirely attributable to engagement in meaningful work." While entrepreneurs may work more and have less job security, the sense of purpose makes a significant difference. The speaker emphasizes that the real obstacle to entrepreneurship is not the business model, but the mindset, specifically the biases and fears discussed. He references Seligman's dogs again: the only way to cure learned helplessness was to physically move the dogs across the barrier, showing them it was possible. Similarly, earning the first euro online, not the first million, is the crucial moment that proves to the brain that the barrier is surmountable. This small proof changes the brain's belief system. The speaker concludes by stating that all the discussed psychological forces—loss aversion, status quo bias, social conformity, tall poppy syndrome, analysis paralysis, and imposter syndrome—are real but not insurmountable. People overcome them daily by choosing to take action, even if trembling. He encourages listeners to acknowledge feelings of discomfort or frustration with their current situation, as this signals their prefrontal cortex awakening and taking control. He offers an e-commerce accelerator program to help individuals take that first step, reminding them that unlike Seligman's dogs, they know the barrier doesn't exist. The only remaining question is whether they will choose to stay down.