Lisp evangelists always talk about a moment of profound clarity where the beauty and utility of Lisp just clicks in their brain somehow. I've done a little functional programming here and there so I know what it is, but I just can't fathom why Lisp is so beloved. I can't help but wonder if I knew Lisp (or some other functional language) intimately if I would approach problem solving completely differently.
Objectively, I felt the "power" when I learned macros. You can create any programming construct you like which will be executed at compile time / load time, and usable at runtime.
You will see the magic when you actually try it. No other language family that I know of (except forth or prolog maybe) can do this. Lisp still has the best macro system of all.
