Please don't read too much into this single word. The comment above mentioned "nearly every ounce of energy they expended on research was strategic", and I was keeping that in mind while writing my remark.
Please read my sibling comment where I expand a bit on what I meant to say.
The key word there is only. Nothing in the post you suggested only. You have one vignette about one facet of this guy’s life.
I really dislike the resurgence in Puritanism.