This makes living in big cities invaluable because you increase the odds of serendipitous encounters — you gain exposure to the envelope of serendipi… - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

If you want to study classical values such as courage or learn about stoicism, don’t necessarily look for classicists. One is never a career academic without a reason. Read the texts themselves: Seneca, Caesar, or Marcus Aurelius, when possible. Or read commentators on the classics who were doers themselves, such as Montaigne — people who at some point had some skin in the game, then retired to write books. Avoid the intermediary, when possible. Or fuhgetaboud the texts, just engage in acts of courage.

This is the tragedy of modernity: as with neurotically overprotective parents, those trying to help are often hurting us the most.

This, perhaps is true self-confidence: the ability to look at the world without the need to find signs that stroke one's ego.