When diving isn't FUN and people are anxious before each and every dive...diving sucks -- people are always on edge, then someone runs out of air and has their life flash before their eyes and gives up on diving. Only when diving is practically effortless does it become enjoyable.
Astute an oh-so-true observation.
Maybe DIR more than anything else it has to offer, does give some people a handle on how to get to that relaxed feeling (faster). I can't speak for anyone else but I know my diving became a lot more focused and lot more under control for having been exposed to DIR. That's not to say that I "am DIR" by any stretch but like many divers I saw it as our best description of our collective "best practices" and I've taken what I can from it, most importantly to me, a way of thinking about analysing/minimizing risks.
I've been told that by not going all the way that I'm really the worst (most dangerous) kind of stroke. In fact I think I've been called every name in the book over the years for going the 80% route .... I think if I had learned how to dive after about 2002-2003 and saw what DIR is today and saw how it's being discussed on the internet that I would have ended up with a better attitude about it. Sadly, I spent a lot of time defending myself in the face of considerable verbal abuse and all I can really say today is that my gear is Hogarthian.
So that's just to fill in some blanks for some of you who might be thinking that my attitude sucks. It does suck. "Going DIR" requires a leap of faith but I'm way too headstrong and need to see the practical application of everything I do so I never got wrapped up in the mind-set or the culture.... I couldn't. My personality won't allow it. But at the same time I'm a firm believer that DIR has a lot to offer so please don't let me put you off of learning about it. I can almost guarantee you that your diving will improve by getting your mind around it.
R..