I tend to think that the longer you look at a thing, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.

"A book is a garden carried in the pocket."

Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better programmer for the rest of your days, even if you never actually use Lisp itself a lot.

Pain is not always transformative; sometimes it just hurts.