[napowitzu]

This is true with many, many things. Very often it is the connections between ideas that yields the deep understanding, not the ideas themselves. Focusing too intensely on a single idea or subject results in not making connections and, consequently, not really understanding.

[j2kun]

I think that, for whatever reason, people tend to think mathematics is somehow different.

[helicon]

I agree. I think most if not everything he said can be applied to learning almost any discipline. I studied physics at university and I definitely recognize the authors description.