A Dangerous Way

Ὁ μὴ γινώσκων τὰ κρίματα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀμφίκρημνον ὀδὸν κατὰ νοῦν διαβαίνει, καὶ ὑπὸ παντὸς ἀνέμου ῥᾳδαίως ἀνατρέπεται· ἐπαινούμενος γαυριᾷ καὶ ψεγόμενος ἐρεθίζεται, εὐωχούμενος ἀσελγαίνει, καὶ κακοπαθῶν ἀποδύρεται, συνιὼν φανητιᾷ, καὶ μὴ νοῶν σχηματίζεται, πλουτῶν ἀλαζονεύεται, καὶ πτωχεύων ὑποκρίνεται, κορεσθεὶς θρασύνεται, καὶ νηστεύων κενοδοξεῖ, τοῖς ἐλέγχουσι φιλονεικεῖ, καὶ τοῖς συγγνώμην αὐτῷ ἀπονέμουσιν ὡς ἀνοήτοις ἐφυβρίζει. Ἐὰν μήτε οὖν κατὰ χάρι Χριστοῦ γνῶσιν ἀληθείας καὶ φόβον Θεοῦ αἰτήσηται, οὐ μόνον ἐκ τών παθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν συμβάσεων δεινῶς τραυματίζεται. Ἅγιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἐρημίτης, Περὶ Τῶν Οἰομένων Ἐξ Ἔργων Δικαιοῦσθαι Source: Migne PG 65.957d

He who does not know the judgements of God walks on a perilous way of the mind, and he is easily shaken by any wind. If he is praised he becomes boastful, if he is reproved he is angered. He is raucous at a feast, and lustful when drinking. If he is afflicted with evils he laments. If he understands something he parades it about, and if he does not understand he pretends that he does. Becoming wealthy, he becomes proud, and being poor he feigns that he is rich. When he is well supplied he is overbearing, and when he fasts he is vainglorious. Just like a fool he considers it an insult when others forgive him. Thus if it is not according to the grace of Christ and in the fear of God that one seeks knowledge of the truth, it is not only grave things that deeply wound one but even trivial things. Saint Mark The Ascetic, On Those Who Think Themselves Justified By Works