A bit of advice about understanding concepts like these: You don't understand every single instance. You understand the concept, and then you begin to learn in

A bit of advice about understanding concepts like these: You don't understand every single instance. You understand the concept, and then you begin to learn individual instances. The shape and the use of monoids is really easy to grasp. Sometimes understanding how a thing is specifically is a monoid or how it's implemented can be obscure. They are similar to monads in this respect, although often less complicated. In summary, understand that there is a beach and that the beach is made of many grains of sand. Each grain of sand may not be obvious from just staring at the beach.