I find that some of the books i don't understand come to me very slowly over time. I'll just have some insight one day and out of the blue I'll think "oh like

I find that some of the books i don't understand come to me very slowly over time. I'll just have some insight one day and out of the blue I'll think "oh like that one thing in zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance", 20 years after i read it (or similar). As for looking like a poser - most people will respond well to "tbh I didn't really understand what I read, tell me more and I'll keep it in mind if I revisit" (or "help me understand this other thing I have some concrete memory about", etc). Some jerks will scoff or dismiss you, most people I've encountered are pretty open to a good discussion even after it's been revealed.