A Timeless Allegory, Fitting with a Current Discourse
In a famous scene from Don Quixote, an Inquisition-era priest whose sole role was to be received at the homes of the nobility (essentially living like a king in exchange for not condemning anyone to the rack and screw) passes judgment on the self-made knight errant, telling him to stop wasting his time on nonsensical and fruitless adventures, and to return to his home and take care of his family and affairs.
The Manchegan knight responds, saying that such an undeserved insult from one who has no true experience or knowledge in such matters is undeserving of a vengeful contestation: indeed, it must simply be written off as the babbling of a fool. Don Quixote goes on to say:
“If knights, and the magnificent, the generous, and the highborn considered me an idiot, I would take it as an irreparable affront; but to be thought a fool by the unknowing who have never walked or followed the path of chivalry does not matter to me one iota: a knight I am, and a knight I shall die.” (1)

A tip of the sword to the true knights who have spoken in defense of my honor.

(1) Forgiveness is asked of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, whose original, eloquent Spanish I translated as well as possible in the above citation.