> I don't understand how vim works beyond the base conceptual level
How much time have you spent trying to figure out how to change the font size in Vim, rotate text 90° in Vim, recalculate a formula in Vim, or insert an image into a document you're editing in it? If the answer is “none”, you probably have a pretty deep understanding of the data model Vim manipulates, even if you aren't aware of it.
How much time have you spent trying to figure out how to change the font size in Vim, rotate text 90° in Vim, recalculate a formula in Vim, or insert an image into a document you're editing in it? If the answer is “none”, you probably have a pretty deep understanding of the data model Vim manipulates, even if you aren't aware of it.