I suppose that hubris comes not just to the academically inclined, but to potentially all persons, but it seems from my own life that academia breeds it in ways of which I am unaware in other vocations. Particularly the hubris of thought. That is to say: the o'erweening confidence in one's own mind and analytical abilities. After all, if one has spent something like eleven years (as in my own case) in formal pursuit of undergraduate and graduate academic degrees, one is going to quite naturally be forced to sharpen one's anaylitical capacities.
But one's analytical abilities begin to fail when one is confronted with crises of some level of suffering. The pain, fear and anxiety attendent upon such suffering make it extremely difficult to think clearly. And then, of course, is the fact that we are, necessarily, not reasoning from all the facts. The Holy Trinity has a perspective on our plight that we cannot have on our own. It is dangerous to rely wholly on one's own judgments in these circumstances. Thus we are exhorted, as our Father Deacon reminded me:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
If my journey through Unseen Warfare began with a stinging rebuke about my own self-reliance, it continues that theme by demolishing my prideful self-confidence in my own thought.
[Note: all the following quotes are from Unseen Warfare, as edited by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain and revised by Theophan the Recluse (SVS Press, 2000).]
As St. Theophan, and the others, explain:
The reason why we have wrong judgment of the things we mentioned earlier is that we do not look deeply into them to see what they are, but conceive a liking for them or a dislike of them from the very first glance, judging by appearances. These likes and dislikes prejudice our mind and darken it: and so it cannot form a right judgment of things as they really are. So, my brother, if you wish to be free of this prelest [spiritual deception] in your mind, keep strict attention over yourself; and when you see a thing with your eyes, or visualize i