> What am I missing? Probably that different people find different areas of math interesting and compelling. I personally find the subjects you listed rather d

> What am I missing? Probably that different people find different areas of math interesting and compelling. I personally find the subjects you listed rather dull, and difficult to study as a result, but find the subjects of (f.ex.) algebraic topology and type theory, where category theory more naturally arises (or, at least, I personally find it better motivated), rather more interesting, which has lead to me developing a reasonable (if basic) understanding of category theory. Perhaps if you were more interested in fields where category theory plays a more prominent role, you'd find it an easier subject to grasp. Or perhaps you'd still find it inscrutable and need to grit your teeth whenever you encountered it. Honestly, I wouldn't really lose sleep over it either way if I were in your shoes, since after all there's no law that says you need to care about category theory, least of all if you don't get anything (enjoyment, utility towards some other pursuit, etc) out of it.