How did the author describe his own personality and intellect before he came to understand the greatness of a Satguru?

The author provides a very critical self-assessment of his former character. In Chapter 2, he admits that he was initially "mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical." He describes himself as having a "bad intellect and a logic-driven mind," and being constantly "proud of his own wisdom" and prone to argumentation. He candidly states that he was arrogant about his knowledge and, importantly, knew nothing of the Satguru's greatness. This paints a picture of a man who relied heavily on his own intellect and was predisposed to the very kind of debate and cynicism that Sai Baba warned against.