C++ is unique in that it aims to be feature-rich, while preserving at much as possible the property of if you don't use it, you don't pay for it. "You don't pa

C++ is unique in that it aims to be feature-rich, while preserving at much as possible the property of if you don't use it, you don't pay for it. "You don't pay for it," should really be, you == the-CPU doesn't pay for it. On the other hand you == the-programmer has to think about it all the time. For some domains/contexts, yes this is actually very desirable. In that case C++ becomes a performance/optimization Swiss army knife. Other people might want it dialed in for, "You don't have to think too much about it, until it's time to optimize, and then you can't optimize all the way, but you get enough of the way there."