It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men. Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion.
Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise.
Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise. The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know.