A simple example of an abstraction for which this is not true is the MVC design. If you don't understand how it works, you don't know where to begin looking to

A simple example of an abstraction for which this is not true is the MVC design. If you don't understand how it works, you don't know where to begin looking to make a change to the system. And yes, some abstractions truly are basic tools. And the more experience you have, the more basic they seem, and the more such tools you have. I am not arguing against abstraction per se. What I am arguing is that abstractions bring a cost, and that cost adds up. A project needs to find an appropriate balance, and there is a tendency for experienced programmers to draw that balance at a point that may or may not be appropriate for the people who have to maintain the system after them.