I agree that the act of submerging oneself into C++ is really a frustration about the language. It's a lot like using APL or Brainfuck as you mention and getting into gear. Still, I wouldn't say that C++ is a "true high-level language" or tries to be based on the reasons you mention. It's purpose is wide-ranging, but being closer to the metal than something like Ruby, C#, or Julia. And regardless, I think there are a lot of contexts where C++'s features can give productivity benefits over the time spent working through the hard spots. That's going to be pretty subjective though.

Based on what you mention though, I'd encourage you to use "Plain Old C" (ANSI, C99, or C11?) if it helps you be more productive. I can imagine with more and more languages fitting the that semi low-level space (eg: Rust and Zig) coming on the scene, there's a lot more opportunity to find the right tool than ever before.