[geophile]

It's not a "meme", it's just my speculation. Yes, languages are made for people, but the people aren't all the same. TFA overlooked the point that maybe it is more curious and more talented people who make their way to esoteric languages.

[mamcx]

So we are on agreement (how weird that happened often on HN, at least on tech!)

I also add that you need to explore that languages to become talented.

I'm pretty certain to be an average developer, at most. Not because low self-esteem, but after 20+ years I have know people above and below.

BUT, the use of many paradigms have help me to look like much better than if I have been stuck on a single lang (or paradigm).

I credit, by intuition, to FoxPro in how I tend to be better on RDBMS work. Delphi, for how build UIs and have certain understanding of low level. And so on.

Every new lang/paradigm make you better, and that lessons carry over.

One of my favorite anecdotes was someday I was stuck with C# solving a task, that even with libraries can't get.

I think to myself "let do that on python". I solve it in no time. I port it to C#, and almost get the same line count!

[geophile]

Yes, you do need to explore languages to become talented in using languages. I think you are not an average developer if you are learning and using so many languages, pretty much by definition.

[mamcx]

Thanks for the compliment.

I consider "talent" as the amount skills you have at your disposal. I think a average idiot will be more productive the more broad is their horizons ;)