Kirk's exploits get so exaggerated, lol. He's a big dork. He's like a nerd who started working out and acting like a tough guy in his 30s. Picard is just the opposite, like a reformed troublemaker.

And even though Picard has the rep of being the one who romanticizes the concept of exploration (studious, reading about old timey ships, etc.), Kirk's geeks out about it so much more: he's obsessed with his ship, he's studied (and seems to genuinely academically enjoy) space battles, and they even gave him that line in the movies: "Second star to the right... and straight on til morning."

...which is a quote from Peter Pan. Lol