Don’t let your intellect and curiosity blind you to the motivations and drive of others. Don’t be fooled by the villain with pure bloodlust because another villain has a sympathetic backstory. Darth Vader and Palpatine (for example) are very different people. To confuse one for the other would be a fatal error.
Be curious. Use reason. Study history and seek to know more about the way the world works. Learn about other cultures and what they value. And while you do this, you must keep clear of “quibbles and qualifications,” and maintain a sense of what is good in your culture.
Without an anchor to something true, you’re just paper (a fancy degree) blowing around in the wind. Pity this person, the fool who will adopt any way of life or creed so long as the words sound pretty.
No one is going to defend your values for you