You Are Not Dumb

I always thought I was too "dumb" to understand math. During my school years, it was evident to me that for some kids math was easy, and for others like myself: painfully difficult.

This belief shadowed me for years, a constant reminder that while believe I am smart... I'm not THAT smart.

Recently, after days immersed in learning math, I had a stark realization.

The struggle wasn't because I wasn't capable, but rather, I was simply missing a shit-ton of pre-requisite knowledge.

It's like trying to defeat a Elden Ring boss... at level 1.

It's like walking into a movie halfway through - you can't understand the plot because you missed the beginning.

The same goes for learning complex subjects like math, CS, whatever.

The gap in comprehension wasn't due to a lack of ability but rather a gap in prerequisite knowledge.