I pretty much agree here. I am an example of someone who simply does not have the genes for it, so to speak. I have loved programming since I was a little boy but am horrible at it. I can learn a language's basic syntax just fine (and usually in very little time), and have written many little tools/small apps that I have personally found helpful in automating certain aspects of my life and work. So I certainly value what little bit I can do. But every time I've tried to study a serious book on data structures and algorithms, it's been a disaster. I simply lack basic problem-solving skills. I try but I'm just not good at it. I mean, I can usually come up with working code to do whatever I've ever wanted to do, and I'm certainly thankful for that since it's ok if my personal projects aren't terribly efficient. But professional programming would never be a possibility for me. I'd get laughed out of an interview b/c of the convoluted/entirely-too-complicated ways I solve problems. I just wish I had a good sense of what algorithms/data structures to use where. That would certainly help me a lot! But I'm just not sure I "have what it takes", if you know what I mean, to develop that skill.