Book I, Chapter III: Of the knowledge of truth
Thomas à Kempis
In an era when the Church and academia often equated greatness with titles and intellectual achievement, Thomas à Kempis proposed a starkly different measure. He valued humility and charity over worldly accolades and scholarly prowess. The learned who align their will with the divine, rather than seeking their own aggrandizement, embody the wisdom he holds in higher regard than any academic distinction. This thought was a gentle admonition to those who equated spiritual merit with intellectual accumulation.