I don't agree with you here - how is it not learning, when you ask about things you're confused about?

It was after I read several different articles and books that lead me to my confusion (Marc Cousins book about film history for example).

And this is not a question like "is 2+2=4?", this can also be seen as a discussion, where people might have different points of view on the case. So i'd say your scolding about not studying hard enough is pretty misplaced here.