[l33tbro]

For me, synthesis is a mode of cognition that is often paywalled by the endless trivia of everyday life. So, as you say, I'll often read something quite passively and just not have the time to think deeply on it.

I do think we all approach knowledge and creativity quite differently. I've got lots of friends that are very logical, deductive, and first principles. Whereas any nuanced opinion I form generally comes from daydreaming or spacing out in the shower.