I never learned to walk away from that kind of a tangle. I stuck with it until I could wind it all into balls. Some of the rescues (other people “kindly” gave me they yarn stashes their [insert type of female relative here] left behind when they passed on or otherwise couldn’t take it with them) were horribly messed up, with different weights as well as textures.
If I got too frustrated with it, I would set it aside and find a project of my own to do so the yarn could flow through my fingers. Then it was back at it. (It doesn’t take much to keep me amused!)
You must be part cat if you can’t walk away from yarn! ;)