Is it always wrong if a language suggests doing things in a way not initially considered? I would say no. It could be either better, worse, or no change. Just because a certain way might be suggested doesn’t say anything about the value it might have. It’s value might even come down to a matter of opinion. However, at the least, it’s expanding the programmer’s mind to new ways of thinking, and I think that is of positive value.

I think I just answered question two: does this path lead to morsels of enlightenment, even if only occasionally? My answer is yes. I think gaining these morsels of enlightenment is also why it is suggested that programmers learn a new language every year. It forces one’s worldview to expand and that opens new ways of thinking, giving programmers new options in solving problems.

I have a few questions after reading the post on Knowing and Doing. Since there doesn’t seem to be a comments interface there, I’ll do it here. Mr. Wallingford mentions uncomfortable constructs he found himself writing as a result of the language features of Smalltalk and Scheme. My questions are: If a language’s features and constructs suggest doing things in a way you would not have initially have considered, is this always wrong? Or does this path lead to morsels of enlightenment, even if only occasionally?