Can you describe the author's personality and mindset before he was influenced by Sai Baba?

Before his transformation, the author, who would later be known as Hemadpant, describes himself as having a challenging personality. In Chapter 2, he admits to being mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical. He possessed a logic-driven mind and was always proud of his own wisdom, which made him prone to argumentation. He confesses that he knew nothing of a Satguru's greatness and had a 'bad intellect.' His journey to Shirdi was not of his own accord but was arranged through the insistence of friends, highlighting his initial skepticism and argumentative nature.