How did the author characterize his own personality and intellectual habits before he began writing about Sai Baba?

Before undertaking the sacred task of writing Sai Baba's stories, the author describes himself in a very critical light. As detailed in Chapter 2, he admits to being 'mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical.' He was always proud of his own wisdom and prone to argumentation, possessing a 'logic-driven mind.' He states he had an 'impurity' of knowledge, meaning he was arrogant about what he knew, and possessed a 'bad intellect.' Most importantly, he confesses that at that time, he was ignorant of the greatness of a Satguru, highlighting a significant personal transformation that occurred through his association with Sai Baba.