Interesting, since I feel just the opposite. In C++, most of the time, I can write the precise intent of what the code should do, and I can also choose the leve

Interesting, since I feel just the opposite. In C++, most of the time, I can write the precise intent of what the code should do, and I can also choose the level of abstractness, without compromising on performance! I think the main trick with C++ is to learn the best practices first, and only use those one thoroughly understood.