Learning is inductive, not deductive.

When you're starting to learn something new, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to begin with a broad overview of the field and then systematically cover each subordinate topic. But we know that's not how we learn! Anyone who has lost themselves to a Wikipedia rabbit hole knows that our minds bounce around domains of knowledge like Roombas, making connections between domains as we go.

There are many paths to mastery. What's important is to start with what's familiar, and seek connections to the new and challenging. Over time and with effort, the entire subject will reveal itself—and reveal itself to be deeply interconnected with other topics, providing you a pivot point for your next exploration.