You are not dumb, you just lack the prerequisites
Many commenters argue that struggling with math or advanced topics like ML usually reflects missing prerequisites or poor teaching, not a lack of intelligence, and share stories of rebuilding their knowledge from elementary concepts to regain confidence. Others counter that cognitive differences and motivation still matter, noting that talent, working memory, and life circumstances shape how far and how fast people can progress. Across fields—from mathematics to programming—there is broad agreement that learning is hierarchical, failure is inevitable, and better tools (from targeted curricula to AI tutors and “dependency maps” for papers) could make it easier to identify and fill foundational gaps.
Prerequisites and Skill Hierarchies
- Many commenters agree that struggles in math (and other fields) are often due to missing prerequisites, not inherent stupidity.
- Math is repeatedly described as a strict skill hierarchy: if lower-level procedures (arithmetic, algebra, trig) aren’t solid, higher-level topics (calculus, proofs, ML) collapse.
- A common issue: people (and course descriptions) list high-level prerequisites (“know algebra”) without specifying granular skills, so learners overestimate what they actually know.
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Learning
- Debate over whether to dive into advanced topics (“trial by fire”) or systematically build foundations.
- Consensus: top-down is useful for goal-setting and motivation; actual mastery requires bottom-up, especially in math.
- Some find bottom-up demotivating without a high-level “map”; others find top-down leads to flailing until they circle back to basics.
Talent, IQ, and Motivation
- Strong disagreement on how far “you just lack prerequisites” goes.
- One side: most people can reach substantial math competence; motivation, practice habits, and earlier life circumstances (resources, teaching, anxiety) matter more than innate ability.
- Other side: cognitive differences (IQ, working memory, ADHD, dyscalculia) are real constraints; some people will never get far, even with effort.
- Several suggest a “soft ceiling”: effort required grows rapidly with abstraction level and differs by person.
Math Education, Gaps, and Anxiety
- Many stories of being labeled “bad at math” due to early gaps, poor teaching, language issues, or being pushed ahead without mastery.
- “Gifted kid” arc recurs: coasting on talent, hitting a wall in university, then having to build work ethic and rebuild foundations.
- Others describe being average or weak in school but later succeeding after deliberate, structured remediation.
Programming and Other Analogies
- Learning to code is often cited as parallel: either climbing a staircase of basics or jumping into big projects and backfilling knowledge.
- Social skills, reading research papers, and even life choices (careers, parenting) are framed as having hidden prerequisites too.
Tools, Resources, and Methods
- Mentioned strategies: recursive reading of paper references, dependency graphs for topics, “parametric books,” spaced practice, immediate feedback systems, and tutoring focused on proofs.
- Several praise modern platforms (videos, adaptive systems, LLMs) for closing prerequisite gaps by providing patient, on-demand explanations.