This kind of infinite regress of A being the pre-requisite of B can be pretty off-putting. It's essentially analogous to mandated "yak shaving", but in a more s

This kind of infinite regress of A being the pre-requisite of B can be pretty off-putting. It's essentially analogous to mandated "yak shaving", but in a more structured form. Pretty quickly once loses sight of the original inspiration and it's associated joys. As someone who enjoys multi-disciplinary learning and holistic understanding, what works for me is a kind of spiralling spaced repetition. I keep alternating my attention over a bunch of topics, each time going a little deeper and making more connections. In the later stages, this manifests as a comprehensive and integrative understanding, but it is very difficult to measure partial progress or feel confident in the earlier stages. It is also challenging to communicate with people who have learned the topic in a linear manner and prefer to think that way, especially if they aren't patient or open-minded. Getting bogged down with gatekeeping "requirements" (as if to cross off prerequisites on a checklist... What does it even mean to check off a topic?) is an easy way to get bogged down. Experience gives me a measure of confidence to push on with my flitting between topics with the faith that enough pieces will eventually come together. I also like some things Edward Kmett says in his talk "Stop treading water".