I recommend that you stop loving your tools and focus on solving problems.
There isn't some dichotomy that makes us choose between good tools and solving problems.
> A good tool is a suitable and effective tool, not necessarily an aesthetically pleasant tool. Beauty of the tool is not a relevant metric
No one is hinging upon aesthetics. They simply come with tools that have been purposefully designed. I might suggest reading some architecture books, from the older architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, or books on complex systems about the relationship between form and function.
Generally if you can prove your ability to solve problems you get more credibility when deciding the tech stack, but given your assertion elsewhere that "tools are often dictated by those less experienced or even unknowledgeable", then your original question is basically how to prove yourself better than the "middle of the bell curve" under an unfair system.
I mean, the points you raised there are probably factual, but it's apparently not a really helpful (to yourself) way to look at things. Generally smart people are able to surround themselves with similar people, and don't really need to find ways to convince unknowledgeable people that they're smart. Software engineering is a huge field and I'm sure you could find people who more resonate with you.
And sometimes it just takes some years for people to realize you are right.
All that said, I think on the tooling part, it all just boils down to taste. Some tastes are more refined, but they're largely subjective or situational.
I liked Smalltalk because I could watch people working with a prototype and learn how to transform the work they were doing.
I liked Smalltalk with ENVY/Developer because I could see when someone created new unreleased editions of methods on classes that I'd changed, talk with them, resolve clashes, merge and release, in a tight development cycle.
Python and JavaScript are two languages that have been used for stuff they are obviously unsuitable for, at a vast scale.
I can't imagine any technical reason for this situation. Only perceived convenience and some kind of social dynamics.
Which book of his should I start with? Thanks for the reference.