I was just wandering around in the Temple (avoiding work, mostly), and I couldn't help but notice a thoughtful comparison comparison between Perlism and Taoism. It inspired me to share this rather shameful bit that I stole / adapted from the Tao Teh Ching a while back.

Programmers of the highest class, when they hear about Perl, practice it diligently.
Mediocre programmers, when they have heard about it, seem now to use it and now to forget it.
Programmers of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it.
If it were not (thus) laughed at, it would not be fit to be Perl.

Therefore the developers have thus expressed themselves:--

Perl, when clearest seen, seems structure to lack;
Who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its cleanest code looks like a rugged hack.
Its funny symbols from the shell doth rise;
Its natural syntax seems to offend the eyes;
And he has most whose lot the least supplies.
Its OOP seems but poor and low;
Its simple ref's seem change to undergo;
Its CPAN doth yet no corner show
A language great, it is the slowest made;
Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade.

Good Perl is hidden, and has no name;
but it is Perl which is skilful at imparting (to all programs what they need) and making them useful.

All of this is written with deep and (mostly) sincere apologies to both Larry Wall and Lao Tse.

"All you need is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." -- Mark Twain