Oh and on confidence: when I was young I had none. Mates and me headed to a club - I had low expectations as frankly I'd had precisely zero luck previously. Mate gives me an E, I then proceed to snog every girl in the club, nearly getting beaten up by some angry boyfriends but my mates explaining I was off my face. I never took E again - I didn't need it. The mental barrier was broken and while I didn't repeat that night because I'd almost certainly lose teeth, I had a lot more luck, even to the point of shagging girls in the cloakroom.
I was never a looker, I was earning good but not spectacular money, definitely didn't have my shit together in terms of career, house, etc, but it didn't matter. I got laid at a prolific rate, learned a lot as I went and now have an excellent wife.