The French as a people are determined to retain their heritage of the arts, culture, and history. They are very proud of their culture, and Americans many times interpret this pride as arrogance and attitude. Most French believe that they value their history, their culture, and their language more so than any other country in Europe. For many centuries, they were the dominant culture and language in Europe, and they still see themselves as a class above. The French and the Americans are often both described as individualistic cultures. However, our views of individualism are quite different. For the French, it is the uniqueness and competence of the individuals that sets them apart. A French person is very comfortable working and competing with colleagues. For the most part, the labor laws protect the employee who is openly expressive, so it is not as much of an issue as it would be in the U.S. The French are less likely to collaborate on working teams. For Americans, individualism is viewed as self-sufficiency which is achieved by the individuals hard work, personal achievements, and accomplishments. An American may view herself as an individuals because she accomplished her goals " her way." In a corporate environment, this may mean that she needs to work on teams to achieve her individual goals, and she will become a team player, if necessary. She may be less likely than her French counterpart to express her individuality in the work setting.