Psellos, as well as enriching his potential son-in-law Elpidios, tried to persuade him to ignore external display and begin inner renewal through education. He gave him books, but Elpidios refused them, preferring horses and entertainment. They had a fierce struggle over education, in which Psellos eventually was totally defeated and Elpidios achieved total ignorance. In frustration, Psellos gave up on Elpidios' education, but tried to reform him by regulating the company he kept, promoting contact with sober citizens rather than entertainers. This also failed, and so he tried more promotions: Elpidios was appointed krites of the velon, thesmographos, mystographos and exaktor. Psellos fell seriously ill soon after, and the closeness of death made him decide to be tonsured and become a monk. In a brief respite from sickness, he was granted by Konstantinos IX one request; when he asked for Elpidios to become patrikios, Konstantinos hesitated but finally agreed, after intervention by Theodora