I'm kinda like you. If I may assume so it it likely that "we" have an affinity for making the guitar useful for making music but there comes a bit of a wall of sophistication where we get separated from the people who came into the instrument's use through simply acquiescing to the laws of theory. That is not to imply that "acquiescing" didn't involve a ton of persistent hard work. I wonder however if the difference over time results in brain capacity growth that makes the rote learner more capable in the long run of developing the capacity to apply music entirely by it's technical nomenclature whereas the person who impulsively plays and "kinda" just gets used to hitting the right spots at the right time becomes somewhat handicapped.

People who learned the instrument and music of faith and sweat often think they can just tell the other type some theory that will change their capacity, but I think--being a 60 year old archetype of the "play by ear type"--that it takes a deeper commitment to thinking and working differently to catch up with those who have come in through the door of just doing what the book says. Good luck to us both.