"should CPU endianness be big or little? My compromise of counting bits outward from the middle was rejected without, I thought, proper consideration."

Why have preference options when you could automatically switch between them?

you'd be surprised. most CPUs actually do that: they generate a single random bit and use that to pick the endianness for that session. the problem is that, after much debate on which bit value should select which endianness, most CPUs ended up with code that selects one endianness for one and not the other for not one. not a true story, but still...

but no, endianness is not confusing if you look at it from just the right perspective and orientation

oh, you're right! or left! I guess it depends on how you look at it, and on your perspectives. but it's probably not the most significant issue to be right about, or not. not the least significant either. it's got just the right amount of significance left