For example, if someone spoke in French, I wouldn't understand what they said. But if they spoke in English, I would.
I mean I understand that it has its use in naming desserts, but it's just not suited for day to day conversation.
Imagine this exchange:
Person: "L'eau est empoisonnée."
Me: "What the fuck are you talking about?" Takes a sip and fucking dies.
Compared to:
Person: "The water is poisoned."
Me: "Oh shit no thanks" Lives
See how confusing it is? It's just hard to relate to on a human level.
How do French people put up with this?
You don't need to "learn" English. It's just that intuitive. They only pretend not to understand out of jealousy.
Plus they say learning languages opens your mind to new ways of thinking. For foreigners, English introduces the concept of freedom.