I think what you ran into was something common amongst the 'fingerpicking class'. There's a culture of competitiveness that some of them take very seriously, and it breeds a 'pecking order mentality'. Depending on the who you come in contact with, that pecking order is based on one of two things. Technical prowess (How fast you are) or authenticity (how acurately you imitate another master). Its the musical equivalent of Golds Gym.