x = x + 1 isn&#x27;t so fun when you&#x27;re writing<p><pre><code>    long_variable_name = long_variable_name + 1
</code></pre>
That&#x27;s the problem being solved in a modern language. The ++ and -- operators don&#x27;t add much. They&#x27;re the perfect a combination of rare, unnecessary, and often ambiguous. Not to mention that their semantics are often different in subtle ways between languages.