I've noticed this too and it's always bothered me. It isn't true in everything (I love the split decision making when roller skating in a crowded rink), but when it comes to something like learning new mathematics, my wife is so much faster that I feel like I'm in some kind of slow motion bubble. My processing power just isn't there. The bio-CPU is out of date so to speak. I eventually get there, but in a completely different way after putting together sufficient metaphor and then examples. She just...gets it. Then again, I'm much better than her in other ways (I've never met a stranger). I think brains are just weird.