The spiritual life is not an intellectual game.  To be enamored with things of the world is a distraction.  Avoiding competition, comparing and contrasting, the recognition that worldly matters, no matter how finely done, take me away from a concentration, dedication, commitment, to God.  Things persuading, pointing to individualism, beautifully conducted, conceived on a genius level, serve a lesser purpose than simple things that point to God.  Scripture establishes that scripture itself can be abused, perverted, manipulated through self-will.  Holiness is attained through faith, hope, and charity. Contemplation, continual conscious contact with God, is not accomplished through human intellect alone, no matter the level of high degree. God did not gift superior intelligence in order to outsmart Him. Inferior ways conducted brilliantly are still inferior.

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. 3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? 4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever. 5 The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. 7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. 8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. ECCLESIASTES chp 1