[lispm]

  (defun averagenum (n1 n2 n3 n4)
    (/ (+ n1 n2 n3 n4)
       4))

The typical pattern is

  DEFSOMETHING name arglist
   
    body

A Lisp programmer reads those structural patterns, not the delimiters.

Lisp programming is more about thinking of trees of code and their possible manipulation - even independent of a visual notation and especially independent of the exact delimiter used.

The delimiters are in shape recognition much less important than the shape itself.

[nickbauman]

"A Lisp programmer" ... Sheesh, I am a lisp programmer, man, and I assure you I know what trees of code independent of visual notation is. You're making a point that doesn't need to be made here. It's this kind of phrasing that really turns off people from the lisp community.

I wrote it that way so it's easier for non-lisp programmers to compare with what they're more used to as well.

[lispm]

That doesn't help them. Explain it like it is. Lisp is different from what they are used to.