Confusion is not failure; sometimes it is evidence that your thinking is expanding.

The moment your thinking outgrows its old framework, everything feels muddled, because the old structure no longer holds and the new one has not formed. That state is unpleasant and it is frequently a sign of expansion rather than failure. Clarity often comes just before understanding and just after it, with confusion in the middle.

When you feel lost in something you are learning, ask whether you are confused about more than you used to be. That is usually a good sign. Keep going a little longer before concluding you are not capable of it, because the point of resolution is often close.