The piece reads like an extended explanation of the saw "Unix is user-friendly, just very particular about its friends." And well-done -
A real-world analog is being in a foreign place where you don't speak the native tongue. You're thirsty and need to use the bathroom. You'll likely be able to make your point through pantomime or by mimicking "language with an arrangement of pictographs," but knowing the correct vocabulary and syntax would get you there much more quickly. Needs more complex than water or water closet would be difficult or impossible to express without the verbal language.
A real-world analog is being in a foreign place where you don't speak the native tongue. You're thirsty and need to use the bathroom. You'll likely be able to make your point through pantomime or by mimicking "language with an arrangement of pictographs," but knowing the correct vocabulary and syntax would get you there much more quickly. Needs more complex than water or water closet would be difficult or impossible to express without the verbal language.