Mostly, it is more in the form of a reverse snobbishness where a person takes pride in note being able to read (the dots). In no other area do so otherwise intelligent people take pride in not knowing something."

Not quite. I often encounter the same kind of thing with maths. People who say with almost pride that they are lousy at Maths. The same people would hang their heads in shame if they could not read.

While you won't find that attitude here are Mudcat...

I disagree. I have come across this kind of attitude in Mudcat on threads like this, though not in this particular one. It is usually expressed as some variant of "You can't know a tune properly if you learn it from the dots" As if being able to read written music somehow means you are unable to listen.

I am with those who say use both methods but it is also very important to listen as well.

Listening to others playing gives you a feel for style whether you are learning by ear or from dots. It helps in developing your own style. Listening to your own playing will help you in developing your own interpretation of a tune or song.

It comes back to what others have said earlier - Practice - but practice is more than just going through the mechanics it is also about listening to yourself and being self critical as well.