Learn SQL Once, Use It for 30 Years

SQL is uniquely stable among programming languages. Queries from a 1995 textbook still run on modern PostgreSQL unchanged. This durability comes from SQL's foundation in relational algebra, which is mathematical and does not change. In contrast, JavaScript frameworks like React completely rewrite mental models every few years. SQL rewards learning its fundamentals once and using them for decades. However, this stability has costs: NULL three-valued logic, verbose GROUP BY, vendor-specific date handling, and a 4,000-page standard no one fully follows. The language prioritizes backwards compatibility, locking in warts permanently. Junior developers should invest 40 hours mastering real SQL, not ORMs, for the best long-term career return. Senior developers already know the tradeoffs. SQL rewards sitting still, not chasing trends.