On Learning Difficult Things There are a number of things that I was resistant to learning when I was first exposed to them. I'd hear, I'd get some understanding, but still be stuck with the feeling that I was missing some key fact or bit of context. There didn't seem to be any details missing, but I couldn't see how it could be true, but eventually I'd get over it and learn to live with the new idea.

I've had this problem with several issues, including:

• the square root of two can't be expressed as a fraction.
• there is no mental substance, no substantial "I"
• Cantor's diagonal proof
• the definition of the limit

Yes, most of these experiences have had to do with either mathematics or over-coming my own naive intuitive psychology. ("I" sure feel like I'm something other than the actions of my body, so I must be such a thing.)

Here's my problem, in coming to accept each of these ideas, my position hasn't changed based on learning new information beyond the initial presentation. Rather, after carefully considering the ideas for awhile, I came to the conclusion that I really wasn't missing anything after all. Isn't it possible that instean of learning, my comfort level has caused me to relax my standards. I haven't become convinced of these as much as I've become comfortable with them.

Most days, this doesn't bother me.
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