556. In short, even though they live so simply, they are much wiser than spirits and souls who want to be learned. For they see on their own what is good, not even wanting to name "evil." Twice I wanted to say "evil," but they were averse to it. This I can declare, that they are much wiser. The details in which our people place wisdom, they reject and call worthless. They say that there is nothing of wisdom in them, on the contrary, that they obstruct the way to wisdom, which is indeed most clearly the case - something that can be seen much better by spirits, and even by people on our earth who have not acquired a taste for philosophical jargon and petty opinions. These cannot but laugh within themselves that any should think themselves wise because of such things, whereas they are like thick clouds that overshadow and obscure all the light of true understanding. For they not only hide and take away the light from them, but also blind them, being the source of all doubts that cannot be dispelled, because they lie so far away from truth. 1748, the 26th day of January.