3703. There were from the societies constituting the skin, as mentioned, some who were accustomed to argue from time to time, but I realized then more clearly than ever before that argumentation is the epitome of unwisdom, and that those who reason perceive nothing of what is true and good - that the more one reasons, the less one perceives, counting on reasoning to seem wise in the eyes of others and wiser than others in one's own. I also clearly realized, and said, that such people perceive nothing, and that it is the part of intelligence and wisdom to perceive at once, without reasoning, whether something is true and good. For they who are intelligent and wise, and consequently, angels, perceive at once without any reasoning whether something is true or good, as is well known to all. For when someone argues for hours at a time, and through a whole volume, those who are intelligent and wise know in a moment what is true and good, nor do they pay any attention to the reasoners' arguments, but laugh at them and regard within themselves as of no account. Nothing is more common than this.
For this reason I became indignant at reasoners, whenever I was prompted to refute their arguments. And they are the ones who constitute the scaly skin. They are for the most part those who in life became such by drawing truth and goodness into confusion by means of philosophic and scientific trivia, who have less common sense, if any, than the most uneducated.
3703. There were some from the societies which, as was said, constituted the skin, who were everywhere inclined to reason [ratiocinari], but it was then perceived more manifestly than ever before, that this kind of reasoning [ratiocincatio] was the greatest folly, and that those addicted to it have no perception of what is true and good, and also that the more anyone reasons the less he perceives, taking it for granted that by reasoning only can he appear wise to others, and thence seeming to himself to possess this character as compared with others. It was also clearly perceived and said, that such persons perceive nothing, when yet it is the property of intelligence and wisdom immediately, and without a process of reasoning, to perceive whether anything is true and good; for those who are intelligent and wise, and of course the angels, perceive at once without reasoning, whether a thing be true or good, as in fact it is well known that among men, though one may reason for whole hours, or through a whole volume, yet those who are intelligent and wise know in a moment as to what is true and good, nor do they pay the least attention to the reasonings of such, which in truth they deride, and regard with themselves as of no account. Nothing is more common than this; wherefore being indignant towards these reasoners, it was given to refute them as often [as they attempted to ply their skill in arguments]. These are they who constitute the scaly skin. They are for the most part those who were made such by a confounding of truth and good by means of philosophical and scientific [subtleties], and are those who have less common sense, if any at all, than the most unlearned.
3703. Erant etiam ex societatibus, quae cutem constituebant, ut dictum, qui passim ratiocinari volebant, sed perceptum tunc manifestius quam usquam alias, quod ratiocinatio sit summa insipientia, et quod ii qui ratiocinantur, nihil percipiant quid verum et bonum, tum quo magis aliquis ratiocinatur eo minus percipiat, in ratiocinatione solum ponens, ut videatur aliis quod sapiens, et sibi etiam sapiens prae aliis videtur; perceptum quoque clare, et dictum, quod tales nihil percipiant, et quod intellegentiae et sapientiae sit, illico absque ratiocinatione percipere num verum ac bonum, nam qui intelligentes et sapientes, proinde qui angeli, illico percipiunt absque ulla ratiocinatione, anne verum vel bonum, sicut etiam notum est apud homines, dum aliquis ratiocinatur per integras horas, et per integrum volumen, quod qui intelligentes et sapientes, momento sciant, quid verum et bonum, nec attendant hilum ad eorum ratiocinationes, quas rident, et apud se ut nihili spectant; hoc nihil communius est; quare indignatus ratiocinatoribus, toties eorum ratiocinia datum est repellere; et sunt ii qui squamosam cutem constituunt, sunt ex maxima parte ii qui in vita tales facti, ex confusione veri et boni, per philosophica, et scientifica, quibus minus sensus communis est, si ullus, quam indoctissimis.