Honestly I didn't even consider the abstractions as a problem due to performance penalties in the vast majority of cases. I consider the abstractions a problem

Honestly I didn't even consider the abstractions as a problem due to performance penalties in the vast majority of cases. I consider the abstractions a problem due to their cognitive penalty and the fact that you often need to put a square peg in a round hole (which requires a cognitive load both initially and in maintenance) due to incorrect abstractions. The fact that automatic optimizations (e.g. compilers) may get rid of these abstractions' performance costs doesn't mean their cognitive costs are removed. I agree we shouldn't necessarily be writing in assembler, but we should be cautious of over-generalization. A math professor I had once said you should study problems in the right generality and no more. I think that software is the same. Abstractions have a cognitive cost and they are often not apparent until they are taken together. Keeping design simple and focused is a way to try to avoid those costs.