[greghendershott]

Exactly. If I ever say this, what I mean to be saying is something more positive. More like: "Good news! This is something that's actually simple to fix/do. Even if you find it difficult at first (I sure did), someday you'll look back on this and think it's really easy."

Because although programming is something I enjoy, it hasn't necessarily always come easily to me. I'm not a natural. I learned to be good(ish) at it by slogging away doggedly.

So to me, it's a long -- and never-ending -- journey of things that are difficult... until they become easy. Being confused about something is a constant fact of life, for me. But so is a growing list of things that, in hindsight, now seem easy.

I wish I knew some pithy, quick way to say that to people, so that it's the positive message I mean.

[sirmarksalot]

"Of course it's hard, you haven't done it before!"

Edit: Only really applies to a very specific kind of situation. Doesn't help if the person has already encountered that type of problem, and had their confidence shattered by a bad teacher or a hostile environment. My sister in law is a math lecturer who often does remedial classes, and she spends a lot of her time trying to teach students not to be afraid of the subject matter.