Most things in programming are incredibly easy, at least the building blocks. Some algorithms and such might not be easy, but they're just different combination

Most things in programming are incredibly easy, at least the building blocks. Some algorithms and such might not be easy, but they're just different combinations of building blocks. I think 95% of people just have not flexed their brain muscle hard enough (and often enough) to spend more than 15 minutes in intense focus trying to solve something without giving up or being consumed with self-critical thought. This is blindingly evident when trying to teach people (probably hundreds at this point over a decade) and very few manage to have intense focus without some completely self-sabotaging mechanism about their own worth, their own abilities, are they smart enough, etc. This by far is the hugest inhibitor... on the small chances where I've found ways to move past this, people will pick up core concepts quite readily and easily, and exclaim "oh, so wait this really isn't that hard." Things like rust data types or something might be "hard" but no one starts there. If you follow along the general path, you can have large accomplishments in learning/progress the entire way up the food chain over 10+ years and never once along the path is it really like "GOSH THIS IS HARD!"