singing sounds like a much better analogy to me as a person who does not "get it" for singing. it might as well be the "disney magic" as I don't "have it", and it doesn't matter if Pavarotti had been my teacher. I still couldn't get it.
for the learning stuff, great character list. I guess I was talking more about "habits" and "practices" as well as understanding the "biology" that informs those things that help anybody to learn better. excerpt from a short list someone on reddit made from the Coursera course:
Summary of what I learnt:
There are two modes of thinking:
Focused mode: Concentrating on things that are usually familiar.
Diffused mode: A relaxed mode of thinking "your thoughts are free to wander".
When you don’t desire doing/learning something, go through it and just start. The discomfort goes away and, in the long term, this will lead to satisfaction.
When you learn something new, make sure to take time to rest, then come back to it and recall what you learnt.
This is very important. Don’t cram information in one day. This leads to inefficient learning. It’s like building a wall without letting it dry.
Revisiting and practicing what you learn is important. Research shows that spaced repetition (repeating things after few days) is the best way to build and strengthen the synaptic connections.
Sleep is very important. It clears the metabolic toxins from the brain after a day of "brain use". It is best to sleep directly after learning new things.
It was shown that exercising and/or being in a rich social environment helps your brain produce new neurons. Don’t lock yourself in your room. Stay active and spare time for exercise (including general physical activities) and friends daily.