At the bottom of page 62b and continuing on 63 is the famous story of R. Akiba and his rise from ignorant shepherd to great sage of the Talmud. We are told that R. Akiba was a shepherd of Calba Savua and he was noticed by the daughter of Calba Savua.

What did she notice? The Talmud says “his great modesty”. She did not see or fall in love with him because of his intellect or his potential for greatness, rather his modesty.

The lesson is obvious.