I doubt anyone would feel bad when they take a picture. Otherwise they wouldn't do it. What I said is just my personal approach to photography. I don't like taking shots that someone else could just repeat easily the next day with much better result.
Some more words on equipment. Equipment is irrelevant IF you have your personal style and vision that no one can copy or imitate. When you are at that level, you can use a toy camera and it doesn't matter. Now, however, if you want to take a photo that "looks good" but is taken at the same angle with the same approach as 5000 other people, then equipment is all the difference there is because nobody can tell who the photographer is.