How does the author describe his own personality and mindset before he was influenced by Sai Baba?

In Chapter 2, the author provides a very candid self-description of his character before his transformation. He states that he was initially 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 and debate. The text notes he "knew nothing of the Satguru's greatness" and had a "bad intellect." It was only through his past-life connections and the strong insistence of friends like Kakasaheb Dixit that he, a staunch debater, was convinced to visit Shirdi. His journey began not from faith, but from a chance encounter facilitated by others.