Yes.. I think it's because C forces you to think about things you would never have to think about in a higher lang. For example, I know exactly how garbage col

Yes.. I think it's because C forces you to think about things you would never have to think about in a higher lang. For example, I know exactly how garbage collection works.. since I once had to write a GC for a project. So when I use a higher lang, that part isn't magic... it's just something someone else already wrote for me. Whereas, if you started with a higher level lang, you could get by without ever learning how a GC works. Yes, you could dive into the details of your language, but there's no requirement for you to do it. And I think that explains what you've noticed... it's hit or miss because those who chose to dive into the details of their lang eventually became excellent developers...