This is exactly the problem here. If you show a=1+1; b=3; a=b; to someone with math background, their brain will most likely explode, because they'll think that

This is exactly the problem here. If you show a=1+1; b=3; a=b; to someone with math background, their brain will most likely explode, because they'll think that every equality has to hold at the same time. Also I think it's impossible to hold a consistent mental model (whatever it is) if people can't form a logic behind the operation.