Even back in 11th grade, one of my strongest points was my
   ability to understand things via analogies to other things.

   It was also one of my weak points because I didn't know when to
   let go when an analogy starts to break down.

   I was 16 then I think. At 43, I have had more practice knowing
   when to let go of when an analogy stops working, but it's still
   my primary understanding tool.