Confidence, and *compensating*. And before you say that compensating is superficial and a bad idea, hear me out. We compensate all the time and cater to compensations all the time. See a car you like but it’s got a lot of rust and hail damage, but it’s got a reliable engine and low miles, you buy the car. You just catered to a compensation for lack of better terms. There’s a girl you like, she’s somewhat unattractive by most peoples standards but she is into the same stuff you are into and is intelligent, you find yourself interested in her. Compensation. You’re a dude who stutters. Communicating can be a tedious, frustrating task, but you hit the gym, you look good, you got good clothes, you’re a nice person with great intentions, and you spend your time indulging in hobbies and practicing gratitude for what you do have, so in the moments that you *are* speaking, whether or not you’re stuttering severely, the content of your words is interesting and valuable. There is nothing inauthentic or wrong with improving other areas of your life because one aspect suffers. Actually, it’s perfectly logical. This is my philosophy and it has kept me happy.