The interface is modal editing, which, yes, takes some getting used to. The payoff is that you get a kind of programming language for text editing. Rather than memorizing ctrl+shift+alt-style keybinds, you decompose stuff into chainable actions.
Have you ever played a video game, be it with kbd+mouse or gamepad, and realize you’re doing a bunch of stuff without actually consciously thinking about what buttons you’re pressing? That’s what working in editors like Vim or (my fav) Helix feels like.
Right?! If it’s a given there’ll be an encore anyway, what’s even the point. Just means a whole lot of extra clapping for literally zero point. Like, at this point it’s just a part of the crowd work kit. I feel played every time