It's (if not mostly, these days) about speed, but it is also to retain the notion that Objective-C methods are just C functions with 2 extra parameters, `self`

It's (if not mostly, these days) about speed, but it is also to retain the notion that Objective-C methods are just C functions with 2 extra parameters, `self` and `_cmd`. But yes – when objc_msgSend is invoked tens of thousands of times/second, you'll write it in ASM to get the performance boost anyway. When you're a compiler or runtime engineer working in a language with as few opportunities for static optimization as Objective-C, you bet your ass you'll squeeze every drop possible from message dispatch.