Unless there is faith in Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, it can't function. Because fault is easy to find. Anyone can find fault in the moon, but no poet does that. Means, if someone sits around and criticizes the Moon, what cultured person will take that person seriously?

Pretentious is that the living entity thinks he is God and separate from Kṛṣṇa. Because if we don’t do devotional service, what is left for us? Illusion, staying in the material world, being God. That is more pretentious.