I guess the underlying discussion here is about viewing programming as a kind of applied algebra, which is common within functional programming and not so commo

I guess the underlying discussion here is about viewing programming as a kind of applied algebra, which is common within functional programming and not so common in other traditions. I happen to find that view really fascinating and generative, but I don't blame others if they aren't interested. I also wouldn't insert the monoid concept into a codebase that isn't Haskell or doesn't already have some alignment with algebra, because it would seem weird... and Haskell has features (typeclasses and purity) that make monoids really nice to use. I also don't generally do language advocacy, and I have a great respect for the diversity of ways of thinking and learning. But I also wish people wouldn't dismiss concepts that other people find useful and good just because they don't immediately see the point.