It's amazing how much this cultural conditioning can affect one's aptitude towards math. When I used to help my brother with his maths, he would oftentimes complain about not being smart enough. Shortly after, he would give up on the problem and come up with a rudimentary solution just to have an output. On these occasions, I'd prod him to solve the problem, ask him about his approach, probe his mental process, and most of the time, he'd tell me the correct steps to solve the problem. Had he not given up sooner, he would've succeeded.

I think that an interest in maths, is the fuel to help one cross from problems to solutions. With how mathematics is taught nowadays, mechanical rather than analytical, I can imagine how easy it is for kids to develop a negative sentiment towards math especially when they get dozens of rote problems every day.