> Could such a statement ever apply to something as crass as software development?

Absolutely. I think like a Python programmer, a very specific kind of Python programmer after a decade of hard lessons from misusing the freedom it gives you in just about every way possible.

I carry that with me in how I approach C++ and other languages. And then I learned some hard lessons in C++ that informed my Python.

The tools you have available definitely inform how you think. As your thinking evolves, so does your own style. It's not just the tool, mind, but also the kinds of things you use it for.