"Ruby presented far more cognitive hurdles for me because it allows you to do things in ways that seem simultaneously mildly more convenient and completely counter-intuitive to everything I've experienced with similar styles of languages over the past 10 years."
Don't use Ruby.
If it presents that much trouble, go find another language. Use Python or C# or Haskell or whatever fits best and gets the job done.
Many of the things you find to be cognitive hurdles and completely counter-intuitive are there on purpose. They are never going away because many other people (and matz in particular) find them to be cognitive enhancements and completely intuitive.
Don't use Ruby.
If it presents that much trouble, go find another language. Use Python or C# or Haskell or whatever fits best and gets the job done.
Many of the things you find to be cognitive hurdles and completely counter-intuitive are there on purpose. They are never going away because many other people (and matz in particular) find them to be cognitive enhancements and completely intuitive.
Don't waste time fighting it.