Functions + data (immutable when practical) is all you need for 90%+ of programming, and you should only reach for objects when necessary to manage some well-encapsulated but tricky state. Your default orientation should certainly not be towards objects.
My default orientation should be what my experience tells me is the best for particular case.
Go learn Haskell, OCaml or Rust. Write some C for embedded platforms. Make a video game using your own hand spun ECS in C++. If, after all that, you come back and say "yeah lets use a class here", then I'll trust your judgement.
>"If, after all that, you come back and say "yeah lets use a class here", then I'll trust your judgement."
Look at it this way. I care what my customers say about my products because this is how I make my money for decades already. You - trusting my judgement - I do not give a flying fuck. Sorry for being direct.
The point I was trying to make is this - I’ve worked with plenty of engineers who want me to trust their engineering opinions. Some are experienced. Many are not. I have no idea where you sit on that spectrum - I don’t know you; obviously.
For what it’s worth, I think it’s the right call to trust your own judgement. I just don’t think enough people actually nurture their judgement by exploring and experimenting with a lot of languages and styles. After all, how would a self proclaimed “Java programmer” know what problems you can solve more easily in Python? I don’t think you can truly understand the strengths and weaknesses of OO (or any philosophy really) unless you spend serious time embracing other approaches.
Again, maybe you’ve done that and maybe you haven’t. I don’t know you.
Java is not the only language in existence and the OO is a great idea as well as many other paradigms when not being overused. Problem is with the programmers who learn one language / paradigm and would fight tooth and nails to solve all world problems with it no matter how poor for particular case.