Editing text boxes; gray vs blue select text highlight

If i click text in any editable text box, say a cell in google sheets or even these textboxes I'm filling out here, in windows I would be able to immediately type to edit or replace the text in that box.

Here on mac, even if I double click the box, the text will be highlighted in Gray, but will be uneditable. Only if I click a third time, or if I click, then slowly click again, will I be able to edit the text (when it is editable, it is highlit in Blue).

Is there a point I'm missing to the gray highlight mode? It is hoop I don't want to jump through.

I have quit all the new aftermarket apps I've added thinking it was something I had added to the system.