> it strongly optimizes for readability of experts in most cases which harms readability in general

Strongly disagree. In the way you speak of "readability", you're confusing simplicity and familiarity, which are really two different things.

If FP if not "familiar" to you, then it will require some effort on your part, sure. But you can teach FP to an absolute beginner, and they will likely find it just as simple, if not simpler, than an imperative mode of reasoning. It's basically just a social and cultural issue at this point.

Very much so to all of this. When I started programming I was just messing around and doing so as more of a curiosity than anything. What I came up with on my own was much closer to FP. When I started to really learn and was presented with OO, it took me what felt like a really embarrassingly long time to under how classes worked and why I'd want them. Once I grokked it I had a grand ol' time, but then I learned a functional language and it felt so good to learn an actual well-designed version of how I initially imagined programming should be :)