In the mid-90s I started using emacs just because a classmate mentioned it (previously we'd used whatever was on VMS; I think this was around when I discovered Unix). A few years later in grad school, I was in the computer lab one evening and the sysadmin came in, sat down beside me and showed me how to really use emacs, and I was enlightened. ;) No, but seriously, I don't really remember what he even showed me (though I think one thing was dired), but having a guru give you a few tips is, at least in my experience, a great way to at least open your mind to learning more.