Wisdom is dunamis. No matter how wise I am, it doesn't stop you being wise, it can't prevent you from getting more wise.
Nevertheless, the division isn't clean. Being wise allows the wizard to manipulate anyone less wise. The more wise the wizard, the greater the delta, the more easily he can manipulate the more-foolish, and the more resistant he is to being manipulated. Dunamis permits kratia.
Why do you need a pope? Because you have to trust that I'm not trying to manipulate you. If I decide to start manipulating you, you will be manipulated, and it won't occur to you to do anything about it, because I won't let it occur to you. Without a pope with wisdom comparable to mine, you have no options for defence. The ring of fnargl and the ring of gyges are childish toys compared to the mind-control powers of the rings of Sophia and Veritas.
Also, fun fact, I manipulate by reflex. I can't stop any more than I can stop breathing by force of will. Tolkein told us the ring doesn't come off, and, well, he wasn't wrong.
"But I can stop reading your blog." Then I manipulate a shill and have them say it instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The point is you can't outsmart someone smarter than you are. Simply not how that works. See also: arm wrestling.
"But I can do the science thing and only believe what replicates." Lol, revenge is sour. Yes, there's diminishing returns on epistemology; if you have the minimum to do the tests, the tests are sufficient. Full security if you don't make a mistake, regardless of how intelligent your opponent is. Except, if you do the replication thing, you've already become wise. Assuming you're already wise, you don't need more wisdom to resist malicious wisdom. Yup. Agree.
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