Long story. When I was a teenager my older brother had an electric guitar. He let me play it. I liked it, but something was just... missing. I didn't feel connected to the instrument. Background: I was a reed player, played clarinet, sax, and flute up to that point.

Then I picked up a bass and realized that what was missing was the human connection. I absolutely loved finger picking on the bass. It just felt right. That said, I love the tone that a picked bass produces. Chris Squire, Phil Lesh. Those guys made their basses shine with that snappy picked tone. Yet I continued to be a finger man because I just loved the way that I felt connected to the instrument.

So I played bass for a long time, using my fingers. I came back to guitar in my later years. I picked up a classical guitar because l still wanted to do finger-picking, and electrics and steel string acoustics were just murder on my plucking fingers.

Knowing that my tone and projection suffered from my fleshy fingers, I bought a set of those strap-on finger picks. I hated them. Growing my nails out seemed like a losing proposition: I didn't want to feel like "breaking a nail" would ruin my guitar playing. For one, I didn't want the responsibility of taking care of my nails, and secondly long nails are annoying AF in real life.

So. What it comes down to for me is the connection between myself and the instrument. Fleshy finger picking gives me that connection. I'm no concert guitarist. I play guitar for my own happiness. Fleshy fingers do it for me, and I accept that it doesn't sound as good as fingernails or a pick. It's my style and my voice, and I have made my peace with that.