By the same argument, nil != true. This could lead to a tri-state ifs (with true/false/nil branches). Or you can just consider that 2-branch 'if' runs the fir

By the same argument, nil != true. This could lead to a tri-state ifs (with true/false/nil branches). Or you can just consider that 2-branch 'if' runs the first branch if the test expr is true and the second 'otherwise'. (So that doesn't make nil false, it just makes it non-true). And then your interpretation and everyone else co-exists and we can all code together.