I think it’s both in fact.

Comprehension debt just sounds like there are things you don’t (yet) understand.

Cognition debt means your lack of understanding compounds and the cognition “space” required to clear it increases accordingly.

An increasing comprehension debt that can be paid off one bit at a time within reasonable cognition space takes linear time to clear.

Cognition debt takes exponential time to clear the more of it you have. If it reaches a point where you simply don’t have the space for the cognition overhead required to understand the problem, you probably need to start over from your specifications.

I like that too. However, “cognitive debt” points to the possibility of cognitive overload, that the code can become so complex and inscrutable that it may become impossible to comprehend. “Comprehension debt” sounds a bit weaker in that respect, that it’s just a matter of catching up with one’s comprehension.

Yeah I like that better too, gonna start using that

“You can outsource your thinking, but not your understanding.”