If you passed a subject without learning anything valuable about it, did that subject help you?

Yes.

I would say the one thing you did learn was how to prioritize according to what is most beneficial and useful for you. So instead of spending all this extra time to study algebra to get a better grade (which because of your lack of talent in this area would be even more effort and work)- you used that time to spend learning the subject in which you want to invest all your energy and focus on.

I had World Civilizations in my first year of college --- zippo interest in the subject --- my major was within the business field so I really do not see much to gain in that subject when I was a freshman and now 25+ years later. I attended the class just enough so I could gather the basics of what would be tested for the exams and studied enough to get a little bit more than a passing grade. Complete waste of time.

Passing a class without gaining anything valuable from it is better than failing a class without gaining anything valuable from it.

I suppose if your goal is to get a diploma, then the class will help you do that, but not much else.

If, however, you're interested in getting an education, then, yes, it will. A well-rounded education is its own reward, in my opinion.

Maybe yes but does it make sense then? I think it's better to learn what you want to learn, in that case it will be useful and valuable

not really. i just did it since i needed the grade.
in my undergrad, i did accounting as part of the overall parts, and it was dry and boring. i still got a reasonable grade though.