This isn't a bad analogy though. Git itself is similar - once you understood the graph-like nature of commits (which isn't all that complicated to begin with),

This isn't a bad analogy though. Git itself is similar - once you understood the graph-like nature of commits (which isn't all that complicated to begin with), it's generally not hard to skim through a repository and understand its history. Diffing etc. is also simple enough this way. If, on the other hand, you are working to create said history (and devise/use an advanced workflow for that), it's very helpful if you understand the underlying concepts. Which also goes for designing database layouts - someone who doesn't understand the basics of the optimizer will inevitably run into performance problems, just as someone who doesn't understand Git's inner workings will inevitably bork the repository.