This type of signaling is very real and present in functional programming languages specifically. Java programmers feel insecure because they're not writing Scala, the Scala people wish they were as functional as the Haskell people, the Haskell people wish they were as advanced as the academic Idris people.

It's a never ending comparison contest. And despite functional programming having an objectively higher barrier to entry, it is entirely possible to write absolute garbage code in an FP language as well.