I think the article is taking it to mean what we want it to: don't write obtuse/opaque code just because you think that the straightforward way to do it, releva

I think the article is taking it to mean what we want it to: don't write obtuse/opaque code just because you think that the straightforward way to do it, relevant language feature, natural abstraction, etc. is "too slow." Find out whether sacrificing clarity for speed is even categorically worth it in this particular function, and find out whether your alleged speed improvement is proportional to its readability costs.