It's stated more clearly in the book but my book doesn't have strict character limits on exercises!

For people learning maths on their own I think Gowers' essay is well worth a read. It offers some insight into the world of professional mathematicians, and it's a reminder to keen an open mind and stay interested.

Maths often seems to be promoted via puzzle solving and Olympiads and the like - like something you can compete at, although I always found that extremely off-putting because I hate puzzles for their own sake. The language or theory side would be too difficult to communicate I guess.

I think I found the subjects difficult because they felt less axiomatic (if that's the right word) than subjects I enjoy, like analysis. With analysis it's like there's something to fall back on, or a well-established language. Combinatorics problems made me feel like I was always back at square 1

Sounds very similar to mine too!

Lean is something I'd like to get up to speed with too. It'll probably be a long term project alongside other things. For a total beginner like me I've found this video series to be just right - it takes a slow and careful approach without assuming any prerequisites www.youtube.com/@LeanFirstSt...

I've found that the kindest way to deal with this situation is just to have a box handy nearby