Although I happened to learn OCaml first, I am actually arguing that learning SML is a better way to learn the concepts behind tremendously more complex and les

Although I happened to learn OCaml first, I am actually arguing that learning SML is a better way to learn the concepts behind tremendously more complex and less user-friendly languages like OCaml and Haskell. I don't know if I'd say it's a shortcut, but it's pretty natural to learn by studying a simpler (perhaps historic) topic before studying a more modern and complex one.