The Lua way is to add a few meta-features to the language that let you extend it with other features as necessary, rather than building it in.* It keeps the cor

The Lua way is to add a few meta-features to the language that let you extend it with other features as necessary, rather than building it in.* It keeps the core language small, fast, and easy to understand. You can build an object system, complete with an elaborate meta-object protocol or whatever, and then just shove in a library and take it for granted, if you want. (Where you felt an acute lack of an OO system, I was missing map, fold, and the maybe monad.) Besides, having the flexibility to reinvent means you can also invent. Sometimes an object system is useful, but sometimes it just gets in the way, and I don't think such things should be in the core language.