While this sounds good, it sort of assumes you're trying to solve some puzzle, and you're going to them for hints and answer. That's not the problem at hand tho: we're not asking them to solve some puzzle for us, we're just seeking understanding.
Because what we're actually doing is building capability to be able to work on a wide range of problems on our own. And getting guided by people who already know there way around the codebase and know what everything does is going to get you there quicker than any other method (unless docs are truly excellent, which in most cases they're not).
So, after reflecting on it more, I disagree. I think assuming you can poke around for yourself, and start to build up a picture of what things do, may end up giving you confident delusions, that could be then hard to unlearn, or at least blockers to further understanding. Better to go to the old guard with a blank slate mindset, and let them fill you in on the overview.
Then go away and work on it, having that guidance in store, and then (if you were friendly enough in the first meet) come back for additional. That is what I think people would truly appreciate.
Think about it: assume you were someone who generally had time to help people coming to you for assistance, would you not love to sit someone down and give them an in depth download of the big picture, and details overview, of this thing into which you poured great love and devotion (or at least, many hours, sweat and dollars?). I think you would.
Anyway, it's a reminder to me that what often sounds right in the moment, and is easy to agree with, actually turns out to not be the best idea. I'm always eager to see another side, and empathize with someone else's view, but the lesson for me is: I often take that too far, and in doing so, forget what I originally came in with, forget my own frame, and forget what's true, so eager am I to see it from someone else's point of view. So that's a big lesson for me. Thanks for being part of it! Haha! :)