Many people ask the same question(about lisps advantages), expecting a big list of features that will magically make their life instantly easier, i have no such list, but many people claim to do, and you can find them with some googling(i think theres one clojure specific on their site :).
Instead I'll just give you a few words about what value I've gained by learning scheme, clojure and common lisp. This is personal, and specific to me :)
Scheme taught me the basics of CS, It is an exceptionally good teaching language, when ESR said that lisp was worth learning because of the enlightenment, he probably meant(or should have) scheme. I've never actually used scheme for anything, so i won't talk about how actually useful it is.
After scheme i got into clojure, about the time 1.0 came out(i think?). For me, theres a lot to love and a lot to hate in clojure. I loved this language, It took the stuff scheme taught me, and showed me how to actually use them well. It made me think, it made me learn, and it made me get better. It didn't make me better, i made myself better inspired by it(same is true of all lisp i know actually). I ultimately concluded that clojure and i are headed in different directions, so we parted, but I'm sure our paths will cross again, when are both better.
Now common lisp is something special. Everything i said about clojure applies to common lisp. The languages are very different, but the end goal is the same: good software. Common lisp taught me how much of what i took for granted was just contemporary fashion trends, it showed me that theres value in knowing the history of lisp well, it showed me that i had accepted the front page of HN as what reality was like, and freed me of this world view. It showed me that software truly CAN be good if I put in the effort to make it that way.
I no longer blame my tools for my failures, because it is I who chose them, and I who used them. This attitude is maybe the most valuable thing i got from learning lisp, just fucking do it, because you can. And it pisses me off when people claim lisp can make you more productive, it won't unless you learn it well and use it wisely.
Instead I'll just give you a few words about what value I've gained by learning scheme, clojure and common lisp. This is personal, and specific to me :)
Scheme taught me the basics of CS, It is an exceptionally good teaching language, when ESR said that lisp was worth learning because of the enlightenment, he probably meant(or should have) scheme. I've never actually used scheme for anything, so i won't talk about how actually useful it is.
After scheme i got into clojure, about the time 1.0 came out(i think?). For me, theres a lot to love and a lot to hate in clojure. I loved this language, It took the stuff scheme taught me, and showed me how to actually use them well. It made me think, it made me learn, and it made me get better. It didn't make me better, i made myself better inspired by it(same is true of all lisp i know actually). I ultimately concluded that clojure and i are headed in different directions, so we parted, but I'm sure our paths will cross again, when are both better.
Now common lisp is something special. Everything i said about clojure applies to common lisp. The languages are very different, but the end goal is the same: good software. Common lisp taught me how much of what i took for granted was just contemporary fashion trends, it showed me that theres value in knowing the history of lisp well, it showed me that i had accepted the front page of HN as what reality was like, and freed me of this world view. It showed me that software truly CAN be good if I put in the effort to make it that way.
I no longer blame my tools for my failures, because it is I who chose them, and I who used them. This attitude is maybe the most valuable thing i got from learning lisp, just fucking do it, because you can. And it pisses me off when people claim lisp can make you more productive, it won't unless you learn it well and use it wisely.