Understanding the algorithms in your code, both the ones you wrote and the ones that the the compiler/interpreter are adding, is the useful thing in my view. In

Understanding the algorithms in your code, both the ones you wrote and the ones that the the compiler/interpreter are adding, is the useful thing in my view. In as far as C forces you to explicitly deal with many of these issues manually it would help with your understanding of this. Usually however the difference in complexity (both space and time) between the algorithm you think you are using and the one the computer is using constant or at worst Log(n) which doesn't justify delving into the lower levels such as C or machine code.