I've had a rough relationship with Python. At first, I found it pretty ugly—especially the whitespace syntax and those pesky underscores. Coming from Lisp, it felt like a pale imitation. Despite that initial distaste, I've been using Python professionally for about five years now, but my feelings haven't improved much. I still struggle with the fact that everything is mutable by default. I sometimes look at how modern JavaScript has evolved, and I feel a pang of envy because it seems to have progressed whereas Python feels stagnant to me. A couple of years ago, I really tried to dive deeper, inspired by David Beazley, but somewhere along the way, I lost my enthusiasm.
I enjoy programming in general, but Python just feels like a chore. I iron out my frustrations because it pays the bills, but I'd love to rekindle some interest before I jump back in for more serious projects in 2026. Any advice on falling in love with Python, or at least making peace with it?
5 Answers
I get the frustration with whitespace and the lack of curly braces! I felt the same at first. But honestly, the Python ecosystem has matured so much. With toolkits, great libraries, and virtual environments, it feels less burdensome now. My advice? Lean into the libraries that can simplify your tasks so you don't feel like you're creating everything from scratch.
You might try shifting your perspective on Python—don't think of it as a competitor to C#, Java, or C++, but more like an upgrade from Bash or PowerShell. Dive into something like Pandas for data manipulation and see how quickly you can whip up a project with Flask. That might give you a new appreciation for the speed and ease of use it offers!
Coming from C++ made it easier for me to appreciate Python. I'd argue that every language has its quirks and ugliness, but Python's got its own unique appeal. It might not be the prettiest, but its practicality is hard to beat.
It’s totally okay not to vibe with Python! Everyone has their preferences. I mean, many people work jobs that they don’t love, and if you can manage to get the job done, that’s what really counts. As long as you know how to make it work for you when you need to, that’s all that matters.
If you’ve been at it for five years and still can’t stand it, maybe you just won’t ever love it—and that’s fine! Plenty of developers use languages they aren't head over heels for. If it’s really dragging down your productivity, it might be worth exploring roles that focus on languages you actually enjoy.
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