Perfect response!

My own response to "X is actually hard to learn" is ... compared to what?

   1. compared to your first impressions?
   2. compared to general opinions that you're aware of?
   3. are you talking about general principles or deep down stuff?
   4. are you talking about the learning curve?  Is it irregular? Steep? Shallow?

"X is not hard to learn" is ultimately a pretty empty statement.