“The boy was not insensitive, he knew; but he had the facility and self-confidence that came of looking at fate not as a master but as an equal.”

“[T]he obverse of facile emotion in the 14th century was a general insensitivity to the spectacle of pain and death.”

“Considerable self-confidence was an understatement. People knew when he entered a room… He tipped the boat. You had to scramble to keep your equilibrium.”

“Blomkvist had indeed had many brief relationships. He knew he was reasonably good-looking, but he had never considered himself exceptionally attractive. But he had often been told that he had something that made women interested in him . . .that he radiated self-confidence and security at the same time, that he had the ability to make women feel at ease. Going to bed with him was not threatening or complicated, but it might be erotically enjoyable. And that, according to Blomkvist, was as it should be.”

“Because of the self-confidence with which he had spoken, no one could tell whether what he said was very clever or very stupid.”

“If that's what it takes". Jack had the confidence of a man who knew he had all the exits guarded. "Location 1044”