It's a difference of degree, not of kind. Any indirection forces the user to reason about a constructed concept instead of the literal facts of what's happening

It's a difference of degree, not of kind. Any indirection forces the user to reason about a constructed concept instead of the literal facts of what's happening. By introducing one, you're making the assertion that the abstract concept is easier to reason about (including any effort required to learn it) than the contents being abstracted away.