Moving up and down the layer of abstraction is an orthogonal skill. The skill I’m talking is taking some axiomatic concepts (can be opcodes or functions from a high level DSL) and then build something using the given rules. I took basic algorithms as an example because they are trivial in the grand scheme of things while learning something like flask or Laravel involves too many concepts.

At the core, both involve the same formal thinking, but it’s easier with higher level concepts to have tangible results (it helps with the rote learning) than purely abstract ones.

After reading your follow-up comment, I realize I may have misunderstood some parts, but I think there is a slight difference in our fundamental perspectives. Still, given your context and your experience, your view is probably the right one for you, and given my worldview and my situation, mine is probably right for me. I agree with your points, and thank you for taking the time to comment. Even though our views differ in some ways, it's precisely because of those differences that we have these conversations—and thanks to your comment, I was able to organize my own thoughts. Have a great day. I always appreciate your thought-provoking comments