I may not be right here, but I believe we're talking about leverage. The bigger the lever, the less work to get it to move.
If you get a compact crank, you're not going to have to turn it as far to move the same distance, but you're going to have to work harder.


to illustrate to yourself the difference between what you have and a compact
just put your bike in a higher gear next time you're going up a hill. you won't have to pedal as much, but IT WILL BE HARDER.

tell me if i'm wrong guys, but i just checked Sheldon Brown's website and from what it said, I believe I understand the concept.

I agree, get a triple if you want to have more options going up a hill.