I think this is a difference in background. A programmer I am friends with found Haskell a nightmare to read because (we finally realized) it looked more like m

I think this is a difference in background. A programmer I am friends with found Haskell a nightmare to read because (we finally realized) it looked more like math than ALGOL. Because I my background I have parsers for both approaches that are equally strong, whereas his parser for ALGOL like syntax was strong and his one for math was much weaker. Whenever we crossed that notational divide and switched mental parsers, the incidental mental load he was subject to skyrocketed.