I’d say when you don’t know what you’re dealing with, where you are and where to move when you first start out on the spiritual path, this is more difficult that working with say, a piece of wood that you’re holding in your hands and learning how to work it–for example. Yet, as we progress, we are learning more about ourselves and become “experienced” just like with any other skill.
These thoughts will always come, we’re always being pushed to develop, the question is how strong is the environment’s influence on me that I immediately know what to do with those thoughts and re-position/re-aim myself towards the goal correctly?