[webmaven]

> will going down the path of C++ -only- allow me to grow as a "software scientist" (perhaps a third way...)?

I have no idea what higher level language in-vehicle AR will be written in, but C++ may be overkill, or a blind alley, or both.

You might be better off learning one or more of C, Go, Rust, Python, or Java (each has its own advantages and disadvantages) over C++.