Risk to him is being late for work and getting a bad parking spot. Irrationally he thinks he can guarantee success, because it looked good on paper or in his thesis. He thinks the ocean works like his laboratory. He doesn't bother anybody and doesn't want anybody to bother him. Titles are disdained and are aren't nearly as meaningful as nicknames.
Titles are highly prized and are often a consequence of inflated egos.
He readily acknowledges success and, more often, failure albeit reluctantly. In other words, he doesn't mind being wrong and but won't admit it until he has given it his best effort. He acknowledges only success. He can never fail because he makes up ambiguous rules as he goes along and changes them to suit his purpose. He reciprocates by calling everyone else in his circle smart.