Dovr, first of all- “lo am ha’aretz chassid.”
Second of all, a person doesn’t need TO BE a scholar, but if he’s not, and even if he in fact is, a person NEEDS a scholar- a Rav fluent in all areas of the Torah- to guide him and advise him.
Even a scholar, and most certainly the one who is not, cannot succeed in living a life of kedusha if that essential hadracha is lacking.
It’s interesting reading through some of these posts and watching people bend over backwards to be dan le’kaf ze’chus, when on other threads, discussing other members of Klal Yisrael, those same people are so quick to condemn and accuse others whose lifestyle choices offend them.
It’s that ancient shor she’nagach mixing in. Depends whose parah he’s goring…