[codygman]

> Can we at least agree here that complexity implies a larger cognitive burden?

Right, but remember simple doesn't necessarily mean easy. The reason I use functional languages is because in my experience they handle complexity better.

> A complex recipe rewards a chef with exceptional results if they follow it perfectly, but also presents more opportunities to fail. A simple recipe might not offer the results but it should be easier to produce with a lower chance to mess up.

> I think the concept generalizes here

I of course mostly agree to both of the above, but I think you are mis-characterizing functional languages such as Haskell which are simple but quite different from languages most are used to.