IMO, the majority of people are stumped by the opposite realization of yours: That you can be faced with a problem outside your sphere of knowledge, decide to t

IMO, the majority of people are stumped by the opposite realization of yours: That you can be faced with a problem outside your sphere of knowledge, decide to teach yourself how to solve it, and then solve it. I'd say most people think learning is a passive activity -- happens when someone is teaching you, or forcing you to learn.