You're basically saying that if a person doesn't understand the math (the equations that represent the concepts) then they don't understand the concept.

But that's not true. You can understand the concept of Love without having to explain it. Just like you can understand how to reproduce without knowing anatomy.

Math is the anatomy of physics, but you don't have to have taken A&P to know how bodies work.

And believe me, just knowing the math formula is actually unenlightening, and most of the times unmotivated and formulaic. This is why people have a hard time with it.

So someone may actually feel like they did learn it better, because a top-down approach to physics is more intuitive. Of course it's always good to have both, but yeah.