Do you think your confidence improves as you age because you are in fewer high-pressure social settings where you are surrounded by judgmental peers?

I am significantly more confident now my 30s than I ever was in my teens or 20s. The only real variable other than simply “growing out of it” or maturing past the angst that inhibited the solidification of my self esteem would be situational. That is, by the time you reach your mid-late 20s/early 30s the kids you spent your worst and most difficult years around have largely disappeared, giving you a fresh start as a young adult.

What do you think, a combination of the two or do you believe it has more to do with internal growth and development? In either case, it is a bit frustrating as you now have this powerful tool at your command with a fraction of the use for it - most of the people your age are in relationships, married or divorced with kids. The only option this leaves you is to date younger women in their 20s, which carries a stigma and comes with its own set of problems.