Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

I agree with the sentiment of this. I think our obsession with innate mathematical skill and genius is so detrimental to the growth mindset that you need to have in order to learn things.

I've been working a lot on my math skills lately (as an adult). A mindset I've had in the past is that "if it's hard, then that means you've hit your ceiling and you're wasting your time." But really, the opposite is true. If it's easy, then it means you already know this material, and you're wasting your time.

As a kid I was also terrible at maths, then later became obsessed with it as an adult because I didn't understand it, just like OP. It was the (second) best thing I've ever done! The world becomes a lot more interesting.

I haven't been able to grasp maths as a kid nor as an adult.

I've tried night classes, tutors, activities. Nothing sticks.

Even the standard 12x tables I struggle at. I want to understand it but my brain just can't understand the non-practicality side of things.

My best friend was like that. Couldn't see the practicality until he got bit by a geology and water science bug. He went from calling me to get help figuring out percentages to doing chemistry equations in his head because he "got" the applicability.

My brother's mom tutors math. One of her insights with a former student was that they were in need of forming some number sense. She started by walking them both out to the street: "how many tires are there on this street of parked cars?" The student, already flummoxed, started panic guessing. So she started with counting.

For times tables, have you developed any intuition around it? For me, times tables are rectangles composed of unit squares and that helps with my intuition. Modern Common Core standards in the US focuses a lot on exposing different mental models to students. And after seeing the same 4x6 enough times your brain will automatically associate that with its solution. Instead of calculating, it is memorized.

My brain doesn't require car tires, geology, or other practical needs: it likes puzzles. I struggle with medical stuff and I can feel my brain switching to meh-mode and hardly anything sticks. I don't know how many times I have been told about the different kinds of sugar and how your body uses that energy and I would still have to look it up.

> For times tables, have you developed any intuition around it?

I've tried different approaches. 4x3 being 3x4

But somehow I end up miscounting and giving the answer for 4x4 or be off a digit every-time.

A good example was that I was at a brewery last night.

They didn't do pint glasses but glasses of: 1/4, 1/2 and 2/3rd's.

I thought 1/2 was more than 2/3rd's so I ordered a 1/2 rather than thinking I was getting more.

However I was unable to visual how 2/3 is more than 1/2 when 1/2 is half a pint, or half a glass.

My visual capabilities are great at others but just couldn't formulate the equation of 2/3 is more than 1/2.

Very simple stuff, but it just doesn't meld.