The reason I snickered at that comment is not because it isn't true. God knows it is most certainly true.
I think you will agree that though math is hard, it is as beautiful as art (maybe even more so).
I always loved something one of my professors used have written on his blackboard, "Math is the language of God."
When I said math is hard, I meant it is a hard reality. Hard to get around math. Engineers rely on hard facts, and math. You can have your own opinions, but hard math doesn’t change when faced with opinions.