I am a member of the Vim cult. We hold no meetings, we don't always know each other, we don't all mock Emacs (at least I don't), we just share an unlikely love for this lean and efficient text editor. Vim is like a good dog, it follows you everywhere you code, your faithful companion.
However, like a good dog, Vim requires some taming, some domestication (actually, Vim tames you -- even out of soviet Russia). It has been said to have a steep learning curve, which I cannot deny. However, putting its commands at one's fingers yields rewards of unexpected magnitude. Its bimodal approach to editing has been derided, but one does get used to it, and it then feels natural: now I'm reading, now I'm writing, and so on.
The steep learning curve, however, is best overcome in small steps. This is the main point of this great lesson in text editing by Vim's original author and actual maintainer, Bram Moolenaar. Learn the basics, then learn the advanced features that allow you to be efficient in your own work. Practice until these new features have become second nature. Repeat as needed. As Vim only requires keyboard interaction and few chords, it enters easily in one's muscle memory.
I've used Vim for more than ten years now. The next feature on my learning list: text objects. What's yours?