Small functions are certainly more pleasant to work with in languages that support first-class function composition. Context switching is less of a problem when

Small functions are certainly more pleasant to work with in languages that support first-class function composition. Context switching is less of a problem when you can build large functions with only a couple lines of code, just by stitching together multiple small functions. One big reason why Unix's "one thing well" philosophy works so well for Unix is the ability to chain commands together cheaply, with pipes and redirects.