If you want to get someone hireable as quickly as possible, tell them to learn C# or Java by all means. But if you want them to "achieve enlightenment", you've

If you want to get someone hireable as quickly as possible, tell them to learn C# or Java by all means. But if you want them to "achieve enlightenment", you've got to get them on scheme. And if you want them to see through all the smoke and mirrors, and gaze upon the simplicity that is the machine, you've got to teach them C. Assembly will work too, with the proper arch (and x86 is not it).