> CT was unnecessarily difficult due to being thrown into a bunch of definitions way to soon

I had a similar experience. Luckily, due to reading many definitions of the basic things (such as monoids), I reached a more complete? intuition of the concept if you will. I think that given enough definitions, people will converge to the same intuition of abstract concepts.

> To new learners I suggest to think of “objects” as the number of dots on domino tiles, or the poles of magnets, they describe where things may, or may not, compose, nothing more

Wouldn't a simpler intuition of circles and arrows be easier?