I may rant about my own discoveries in woodturning, but I ultimately do subscribe to the philosophy of "I'm OK, and you're OK"! If someone else is good with their results on the lathe, then that's fine with me, and accept it.
However, from my observations I've noticed that quite a few turners are satisfied with a tooled finish that requires aggressive sanding to get rid of the torn end grain, uneven surfaces, and tool marks. For those who embellish their turnings, this may be perfectly acceptable because they rely on sanding to eliminate what they consider inconsequential flaws......but, for my kind of turning, where the subliminal attraction relies on perfect geometry to gain the desired aesthetic appeal, it's not acceptable. In order to maintain the perfect geometry, then the turning skills, along with the right tools and techniques are essential to have a tooled surface in preparation for a very minimal amount of sanding. Aggressive sanding of bowls, being that they are side grain orientation, and the resistance to sanding alternates as it spins on the lathe, means the geometric integrity suffers a loss of perfection.....or, roundness. This loss of geometric integrity is what destroys the ability to achieve the aesthetic appeal my turnings rely on for visual acceptance by those who purchase them. They may not know just what it takes to gain their approval, but they know what they like, and most, if not all of them have seen or purchased turnings from other turners prior to making their comparisons and judgements.
^^^^^None of this will make much difference to many other turners, but for a select few, these things are essential.
-o-