For me it’s time signatures in music. I grew up playing instruments, played in several orchestras, etc. But no matter how many times someone tries to explain time signatures to me, it makes no sense. I don’t understand why people place such importance on it. To me, notes have a pitch and a duration, maybe some dynamics. That’s it. I don’t understand why people try to needlessly complicate it. It doesn’t give you anything.
My wife will hear a song and go “Oh neat, it’s in 5/8.” And I’m like “How tf do you know that, and why does it matter?”
That’s fine for cooking, where I’ll have it all in front of me, but doesn’t help with reading. I just can’t visualize it, or maybe I just can’t remember it.
See, that actually IS helpful to me, and probably why I prefer certain recipe websites to cookbooks.
Possibly related question: Are you one of those folks without a mind’s eye? What’s the space catholic term for it? aphantasia?
No, I have a mind’s eye. If the recipe says “stir until the sauce reaches a creamy, glossy texture” I can picture it perfectly.