Emacs isn't for everyone
Any sufficiently complex system (whether it's a text editor, biological ecosystem, or vehicle) is going to be difficult to interact with for a new user.  Emacs is hard to do, well anything, the first time you fire it up, you're probably going to die in the Amazon if without a knowledgeable guide, and you're not going to be able to sit down at the controls of a fighter jet and just take off.<p>The trade of for this (is supposed to be) increased flexibility and power for the person interacting with the system once they are familiar with it.  You can write elisp to automate tasks you do frequently, see animals in the rain forest not found in zoos, and do maneuvers that can't be approached with a Cessna.<p>Increased complexity of a system increases the possibilities for the user but also increases the difficulty of acclimation.  This is a part of life and not specific to a text editor.