Matisyohu28, actually reb chaim brisker is quoted as saying “nebach an am ha’aretz is fohrt an am ha’aretz”. A later rav is attributed with your quote, except that he said “oich” instead of “poich”. This was said regarding holocaust survivors, so please don’t make up your own interpretations.
And though we are taught that without learning you can’t have emunah, it is simply not true when applied (in retrospect) to the many pashuteh yidden of yesteryear. I’m not saying that it is still possible to be like them today (especially since the reasons they never were able to learn do not apply to us in our ‘privileged’ times) but try to keep in mind that there was a time when even good Jews were not enclosed in 4 walls for their entire life. The Lithuanian derech is only recently the prevelant one.