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Is there a single word/phrase to describe the personality attribute of "If they can do it, why can't I?" nature? I need this for grounded theory analysis of interviews for my postgraduate.

The context is that the entrepreneur I interviewed always said "If they can do it, why can't I?" when he got inspired by other entrepreneurs who have developed brands from scratch, who have done different things rather than following traditional paths of being an entrepreneur. That phrase formed an important part of the entrepreneur's identity that I wanted to emphasize with a key-word or phrase.

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    Can-do spirit?
    – user140086
    Commented Jun 17, 2016 at 7:24
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    What does PG mean? Post graduate?
    – Thomas Francois
    Commented Jun 17, 2016 at 7:34
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    You better provide more context, the phrase could be interpreted in more ways than one. Also, Google "me too," "keeping up with the Joneses," etc.
    – Kris
    Commented Jun 17, 2016 at 7:39
  • Thanks everyone. Thomas Francois, Yes, its postgraduate. Kris, the context is that the entrepreneur I interviewed always said "If they can do it, why can't I?" when he got inspired by other entrepreneurs who have developed brands from scratch, who have done different things rather than following traditional paths of being an entrepreneur. That phrase formed an important part of the entrepreneur's identity that I wanted to emphasize with a key-word or phrase.
    – SeaPirate
    Commented Jun 20, 2016 at 8:36
  • self-made - "having become successful or rich by one's own efforts" (Oxford). It connotes (for me) the type of person who'd say "if others can do it, so can I." Also, go-getter - "an aggressively enterprising person" (Oxford).
    – DyingIsFun
    Commented Oct 16, 2016 at 0:33

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What's good for the goose...

... is good for the gander. Alternatively, "What's sauce for the goose (is sauce for the gander)."

This expression is sometimes interpreted as a cry for gender equality- what's good for men is good for women. However, it is also often used in a gender-neutral context. For example:

If you can build a lemonade stand and make money, then so can I. After all, what's good for the goose!

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  • But this statement is more about permission and less about ability. “If you’re allowed to do it then I should be allowed to do it too.”
    – Jim
    Commented Nov 15, 2016 at 2:46

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