Thinking about it some, I agree. I'd have (and have in the past) disagreed about it being the best language for self-learning as a new programmer - it's decent,

Thinking about it some, I agree. I'd have (and have in the past) disagreed about it being the best language for self-learning as a new programmer - it's decent, on par with most other languages, but not the best language for that purpose. The error messages can be inscrutable (for now), the types can get complex and messy (though they're are getting better, easier-to-read signatures over time), it might not have the library for what you have the impulse to build (which is an important motivator for new programmers - though this is again a "for now" problem). But with someone to guide you, it absolutely can be the best first language, because of the breadth of programming concepts it introduces you to. Python is a good first language if, say, you're in college and just want to get started with doing things in programming - where the focus is on programming as a tool to get the results you want, and less so on the shape of the tool itself and how it shapes your mind. At younger ages, when there's time to lay a firm foundation and explore the tool itself, Julia makes for a much better foundation, being a better jumping-off point for many more diverse paths in the programming landscape.