Good morning, friends!

Our society loves to talk about courage.

But what I've discovered in studying so many exceptional people is that the ones we consider courageous don't see themselves that way at all.

This week, I worked on a Profile Dossier featuring Clarissa Ward, a world-renowned war-zone correspondent. She has completed multiple assignments in Syria, Egypt, Russia, China, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Most recently, she was working 19-hour days in Kabul, Afghanistan, covering the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban’s sudden return to power. She delivered her reports calmly — sometimes in the midst of gunfire sounds around her — without showing too much emotion on air.

“I appear calm, but that doesn’t mean I am calm,” she said. “I don’t panic because you can’t panic in those situations. If you are someone who panics, then you probably should be doing a different job, because it will get you into more trouble. But it doesn’t mean I’m calm on the inside. That’s just the way I deal with fear: I get quiet and very focused.”

At one point, she attempted to interview a Taliban fighter who shoved his hand forward to block her cameraman’s lens, told her to cover her face, and waved a whip made of heavy chain and a padlock. He told her that the chaotic scene around the Kabul airport was America’s fault.

Like Ward, Kyle Carpenter had an encounter with the Taliban but under slightly different circumstances. In November of 2010, he was a 21-year-old U.S. Marine stationed in Marjah, Afghanistan. He stepped out of his sleeping bag around 8 a.m., to the sound of AK-47s. The Taliban had initiated another attack on his patrol base, which had become a daily occurrence.

When his time to be on post came, he was positioned on a roof with his best friend and fellow Marine Nick Eufrazio. A hand grenade landed beside them, and without hesitation, Carpenter threw his body on top of the explosive to shield his friend from the blast. He has no memory of what happened next.

Carpenter was evacuated out of Afghanistan in critical condition — the grenade had shredded his flesh, torn his bone, severed major arteries, splintered his right arm, collapsed a lung, and taken his eye. His heart flatlined three times, and doctors labeled him P.E.A, patient expired on arrival.

Miraculously, Carpenter woke up from a coma five weeks later. Since then, he's had to re-learn how to live. Although Carpenter became the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest and most prestigious personal military decoration, he doesn't see his action of sacrificing his life to save a fellow Marine as an act of bravery.

Instead, he reminds us that none of us know how we’ll react in an emergency situation until we come face-to-face with it. He says, “If you had ever asked me, ‘Hey, in 10 minutes, will you jump on a grenade?’ I couldn’t — and I don’t believe anyone could — confidently say yes.” But, he says, you shouldn’t underestimate the courage that can take over in a moment of emergency.

“You never know when, how, or to what capacity you’re going to step up and take that grenade in combat or in life for those around you,” he says.

His story highlights that the human spirit is stronger than we could ever know, but I personally don't think we face enough adversity in our everyday lives to challenge that spirit enough. When I read about Conrad Anker — a mountaineer who survived a deadly avalanche — I understood that consciously inviting discomfort into our lives allows us to inadvertently invite competence and courage.

"Putting yourselves in a difficult situation and persevering forces you to dig deep and find the process to innovate," Anker says. "It builds confidence for facing hardship and being able to accept an uncertain outcome. Adversity challenges the human spirit and we are better for it."

By anticipating and embracing uncertainty, you can actively cultivate courage. In other words, courage is ultimately born out of competence. The more we learn to master our body and mind, the more likely we're able to step up in times of chaos.

As Ernest Hemingway put it, "Courage is grace under pressure."

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THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, premium members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Clarissa Ward, the journalist covering the world’s most dangerous places. Become a premium member and read it below.

The Profile

The Profile Dossier: Clarissa Ward, the Journalist Covering the World's Most Dangerous Places

Clarissa Ward is a teller of the hardest stories in the world's most dangerous places. Ward is a conflict reporter who moves from hot zone to hot zone all over the world. She speaks seven languages and has completed multiple assignments in Syria, Egypt, Russia, China, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan…

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4 days ago · 4 likes · 4 comments · Polina Pompliano

PROFILES.

— Silicon Valley's favorite politician
— The athlete who withdrew from the Olympics
— The actor revealing his real self
— The NFL star who refuses to slow down
— The lawnmower racing champions
— America's oldest park ranger
— The television host who went dark
— The media startup in hot water [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

Silicon Valley's favorite politician: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has made gains in turning Miami into the most cryptocurrency-friendly city in the U.S. In the past six months, Miami hosted the world’s largest bitcoin conference; a crypto exchange called FTX paid $135 million for the naming rights to the NBA arena; and a city-sanctioned currency called MiamiCoin debuted, generating millions in fees for municipal coffers. Suarez also accepts campaign contributions in bitcoin. Here's how he became the CEO of Miami. (New York Magazine)

“I saw the tsunami coming, got out my surfboard, and started paddling.”

The athlete who withdrew from the Olympics: Simone Biles is the most dominant gymnast in the history of the sport. She had been expected to win five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics this year. Even the ads for the Olympics implied she would sweep on the podium. And then, on the fifth day of the competition, she unexpectedly withdrew from the finals. “I should've quit way before Tokyo,” she says. (For more, read Simone Biles's Dossier here.)

"I learned a lot about myself — courage, resilience, how to say no and speak up for yourself.”

The actor revealing his real self: For decades, Will Smith was driven by the desire to be the biggest movie star on earth. But over the last 10 years, as he has become increasingly focused on evolving as a human being, a gulf has emerged between Will Smith the movie star and Will Smith the man. Smith is finally ready to speak his truth. In November, the actor will publish a memoir that reveals new information about his troubled relationship with his father, his adventures in self-actualization during what he calls “the fuck-it 50s,” and the ups and downs of his relationship with Jada. (GQ)

“The idea is I spent the first half of my life gathering, gathering, gathering, and now the second half of my life is going to be giving it all away.”

The NFL star who refuses to slow down: As if Tom Brady hasn't done it all, he's introducing yet another endeavor. The greatest quarterback of all time is now launching ... an eponymous fashion brand. A line of men’s training and activewear is coming in December. His co-founder and the CEO of the brand is Jens Grede, a force behind fashion behemoths like Kim Kardashian’s wildly successful Skims line. Here's how the duo wants to make the Brady brand become one of the planet’s biggest namesake sportswear labels. (Read Tom Brady's Profile Dossier here.)

“I think I’m finding my voice again, you know?”

The lawnmower racing champions: This is a delightful story about the lawnmower racers who participate in the Lone Star Mower Racing Association. You can get into mower racing for about $1,500 to $2,500. During its past season, the Texas club had 72 paid members, with 46 active racers ranging in age from 6 to 72. Only 6 or so of the 46 racers are women, but the number of female racers is growing each year. Meet the fearless women who full-throttle it to 35 or 40 miles per hour. (Texas Monthly)

“This is a sport for everybody. It’s a cornucopia of what people do for a living. We don’t have any preachers, though, probably because there’s too much swearing.”

America's oldest park ranger: Betty Reid Soskin has fought to ensure that American history includes the stories that get overlooked, but few stories have been more remarkable than hers. As she approaches her centennial birthday, she has, to put it mildly, persisted. She suffered a stroke in 2019, but has since resumed her ranger talks (by videoconference), and even narrated a commercial for The North Face clothing company that dropped in July. Here's her incredible story. (The New York Times)

“What gets remembered depends on who is in the room doing the remembering”.

The television host who went dark: Jon Stewart is back on television with a new show called The Problem With Jon Stewart. The concept — a current affairs series that tackles a single issue, or “problem,” every episode — is some two years in the making. Stewart says it was born from “the same things that animated The Daily Show, but it isn’t is laugh-out-loud funny, at least not in the way his Daily Show frequently was. Here's what he has in store for his comeback. (The Hollywood Reporter)

"I’m really interested in that area that exists between rhetoric and reality."

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The media startup in hot water: OZY, a digital media startup founded in 2013, has raised eyebrows for years over its claims about its audience size. The company has overstated its success on big platforms, as well as the strength of its relationship with them. And then came the bombshell: OZY's co-founder and COO impersonated a YouTube exec on a potential investor call. (Disclosure: I worked at OZY for six months in 2014, and let's just say that I have always believed what happens in the dark will come out in the light.) (The New York Times)

“I’ve never heard an explanation of Ozy that made sense to me."

✨ This installment of The Profile is free for everyone. If you would like to get full access to all of the recommendations, including today’s audio and video sections, sign up below.

AUDIO TO HEAR.

Alexey Molchanov on pushing past your limits: How does freediver Alexey Molchanov condition his mind to go deeper? "In freediving, you have to be physically fit, but if you haven't fine-tuned the skill of relaxation, you cannot handle the physical pressure," he says. Before going into a dive, Molchanov reminds himself that reaching new limits will allow him to gain new skills. "These moments are a test of your skills, and you have an opportunity to execute at the highest level," he says. (Link available to premium members.)

Ana Lorena Fabrega on cultivating independent thought: By the time Ana Lorena Fabrega was 15 years old, she had already attended 10 different schools in seven different countries. After five years as a teacher, Fabrega left the traditional school system in pursuit of alternative methods that sparked students' curiosity and love for learning. In this conversation, Fabrega explains why traditional education is broken, how kids can learn to think independently, why games are so important in the process of learning, and so much more. (Link available to premium members.)

Hugh Jackman on living a disciplined life: Every single morning, actor Hugh Jackman meditates, takes a cold shower, and reads a book with his wife for 30 minutes. No exceptions. “And we know that, no matter what happens in the day, which invariably gets away from you, you’ve had that quality time together,” he says. In this podcast, we learn why Jackman believes a good life requires self-discipline — and why anyone can achieve it. (Link available to premium members.)

VIDEOS TO SEE.

Esther Perel on life after trauma: Psychotherapist Esther Perel says the word “erotic” is typically used in the context of sexual desire, but she offers a more nuanced definition. She views “the erotic” as an energy, a vitality, and an aliveness that couples exude even after undergoing a traumatic event. Perel credits her parents — who survived the Holocaust — for showing her how to live with purpose, playfulness, and connection to herself and others. Amazing conversation. (Link available to premium members.)

Keith Rabois on how to be an effective operator: In this lecture, Keith Rabois explains that building a company is a lot like building an engine. "As Warren Buffett says, build a company that idiots could run because eventually, they will," he says. "So this is what you want. Basically a performance machine that idiots can run." If you're a founder or a CEO, you will find some really helpful mental frameworks on how to become an efficient operator. (Link available to premium members.)