This question has been bothering computer programmers for decades: Is the first element of an array referenced by index "1" or index "0"?

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I was a computer programmer and it never bothered me once. My fellow students at college didn't seemed to be bothered about the index origin, which could be 2 or 3 or..., eh? AND my professors, not one of them, seemed to be bothered about the index origin--unless it was a question on a test. Further, computer programmers know that the number of entries (occupied or NOT) in an array or matrix is the same no matter the index origin. Eh?
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I’ve always thought, everything works for the number 0, and we can’t get out of a shape/consciousness existence because we perceive it wrong.
Any ideas, on this perception?

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I think this perception is wrong, leads nowhere, and ought to be suppressed, rejected and maligned at every possible opportunity.
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If you are counting apples, do you start at zero?

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If you ask me the number of apples I possess, then, when I don't have any, I answer either, "I don't have any" or "zero."

If I wan't to provide an answer (a number) when counting the number of apples I possess, then I want to start "counting" using a number line (or sequential set of numbers) which begins with zero and proceeds (sequentially) 1, 2, 3, ...; I stop at the number which represents the count of apples I possess.

This is NOT rocket science.