Well, not knowing where you are is not the same as feeling confused, in the same way as a wanderer who doesn't know where they are isn't necessary lost. What I

Well, not knowing where you are is not the same as feeling confused, in the same way as a wanderer who doesn't know where they are isn't necessary lost. What I hear you saying can be seen as a gym analogy: no pain, no gain. The hidden part here is that gym rats actually enjoy the experience, whatever words you use to describe it, and for many others who are after the results it's merely painful. If you are in grad school: in my opinion, graduate schools are supremely successful in sucking all the joy out of doing mathematics (and life). The whole system needs to be scrapped. I agree that one should not avoid taking advice on math from someone who struggled with it - because, as you note, that's all of us. However, I would not take advice on a subject from someone who's never really enjoyed doing it.