I find this quite an interesting subject. I have always been drawn to the world of effects, but then would shy away from the godawful racket I invariably produced with them.
I'd then tell anyone I could back into a corner for long enough that I don't need them, it's all in the fingers.
I try not to be so pompous these days. I've come to realise that I was the problem. You see for all the ill chosen words the op has a point. The less between the bass strings and the speakers the easier it is to get the sound. Once you start adding variables it is more difficult to narrow down the options. I could never be arsed with the hard work.
In lockdown I've spent a lot of time learning how effects dovetail with my style. What works and what doesn't. Invariably now I use them sparingly. A couple are always on, a couple produce specific sounds for specific situations, and occasionally, just occasionally, I use one because it sounds so damn cool!