Confusion is a Precursor to Learning
As Mortimer J. Adler puts in his 1940 piece, “How to Read a Book”, there are two possible outcomes from reading a book:
In the first scenario, you understand it in full and agree with it completely. This means that your mind and the author's are the same. The result of such reading is the gathering of more information, but your level of understanding remains unchanged.
In contrast, in the second scenario, you find yourself tackling a book that seems confusing and you know that you are unable to understand it in full.
Reading of this second kind is challenging, draining and requires active effort. However, it is important to realize that this very effort is your mind trying to make sense of this new information! It is attempting to comprehend it in the context of the knowledge and experiences you already have and trying to make new connections.
In some sense, the author's mind is at a higher state of understanding than yours. Such being the case, the book presents itself as the tool to bring your mind closer to the author's level.
To pull yourself at higher levels of understanding, Adler claims, reading must be about more than gathering information. You must challenge the presented information with questions, then seek answer them yourself. You must ascertain the soundness of the author's claims and be willing to both disagreeing and changing your mind.
If you succeed at that exercise, you are pulling yourself higher, towards the author's level. If the author also happens to be right, you will have learned something about the world.
But all of it starts with having the feeling of confusion.