From my Swiss perspective, I’ve noticed something curious: in the U.S. and much of the English-speaking world, people celebrate the “learning mindset.” We love those stories of the dishwasher-turned-CEO, the coder who taught herself Python on YouTube, the career that zigzags but somehow adds up.

But here in Central Europe, the tone shifts. HR will happily scan your résumé for that one brilliant achievement — but they’ll also pause at a single month “off track” and ask, what happened there?

It’s fascinating, isn’t it? In one culture, detours are badges of curiosity. In another, they’re treated like red flags.

Or maybe, uncomfortable thought, it’s the same myth everywhere, just dressed in different clothes.