I meta-click to capture xterm output, call dired, make it give me popup-windows to edit short scripts and long command lines, i query the feed-reader, get my backup-schedule, have it popup for debrief when new voice notes are downloaded, serve as an emergency window manager, capture into multiple bins while browsing, turn into a presentation tool, create pdf reports and write-ups, prompt me to check-in any leftovers at the end of the day, work seamlessly across my machines, provide menus to give access to files, clickable functions, org-summaries, fantastic spreadsheets .. oh wait, that's going beyond shell.
so yes, it made my beard grey. big deal, i can shave. sure it not perfect, sure its infuriating, surely i'm insane for continually investing into my future while tweaking something to compound its benefits.
but none of this makes emacs anything but a lisp machine -- so well loved and so close to the metal that it will be here after you and me. Call it a general purpose computing shell, not an OS, and please compare it to the living, not the dead!