What are "higher order programming languages"? Did you mean "higher level programming languages"? If so, no, the point is that you can program more abstractly, almost always at the expense of performance.
EDIT: Downvoters, I'm terribly curious which of these points you disagree with? Do you believe higher level languages (like Python, JS, or even Go) are faster than lower level languages (like C, C++, etc)? Or do you believe that HLLs are actually faster (or meant to be faster) than LLLs? Or maybe you are downvoting because I don't know what a "higher order language" is?
Wasn't trying to be pedantic; whatever is "entirely clear in context" is not entirely clear to me at all. Did he use a term that I'm unfamiliar with or did he use the term I'm familiar with in a way that is incongruent with my understanding?