758. CONCERNING THOSE WHO IN THE LIFE OF THE BODY HAVE GREATLY EXCELLED IN CLEVERNESS, BUT ONLY IN THINGS EXTERNAL. IN THE OTHER LIFE THEY ARE STUPID A certain spirit whom I had somewhat known in the life of the body was brought to me for the sake of conversation; but he spoke nothing with me. He was so dull and stupid, as it were, that he knew scarcely anything that others said. His dullness was communicated to me so that I could thence know it. It so obscured my thought that I could scarcely perceive what I was writing. In the life of the body he had been of greater cleverness than others, but only in things external, so that on account of his acumen of cleverness in externals he had been greatly celebrated. Thus cleverness in external, worldly, and corporeal things is turned into stupidity. But as yet I do not know whether it was for that reason that he was left to the company of similar spirits, for in that case every spirit is stupid. Especially stupid is one, like this spirit, who died some months ago. 1748, Feb. 12.