3748. There was a certain spirit who while he had lived in the world had gained a great public reputation for learning, being of a subtle genius in confirming falsities, but very stupid as regards goods and truths. As he had previously done in this world, he imagined that he knew everything; for such spirits believe themselves to be most wise and that nothing is hidden from them; and such as they have been in the life of the body, such they remain in the other life; for all things that belong to anyone's life, that is, which are of his love and affection, follow him and are in him as the soul is in its body, because from these he has formed and given quality to his soul. This spirit came to me and conversed with me, and because he was of such a quality, I asked him, Who is the more intelligent, he who knows many falsities, or he who knows a little truth? He replied, He who knows a little truth. The reason of his giving this answer was that he imagined that the falsities which he knew were truths, and thus that he was wise. [2] He afterwards desired to reason about the Grand Man, and about the influx therefrom into everything of man; but as he understood nothing about it, I asked him how-seeing that the thing which moves is spiritual, and that which is moved is corporeal-he understood the fact that thought, which is spiritual, moves the whole face and exhibits its own expression; and also moves all the organs of speech, and this distinctly according to the spiritual perception of such thought; and that the will moves the muscles of the whole body, and the thousands of fibers dispersed throughout it, to one action. But he knew not what answer to give. I conversed further with him on the nature of endeavor, and asked him whether he knew that endeavor produces actions and motions, and that all action and motion must have endeavor within them in order that they may come forth and subsist. He replied that he did not know this; and he was therefore asked how he could desire to reason, seeing that he did not know even first principles, in which case reasoning is like scattered dust with no coherence, which falsities dissipate in such a manner that at last the man knows nothing, and consequently believes nothing.