To strike well is essential to good ringing. Good striking can only occur when every member of the band does this for every change. Unfortunately this is so. Good strikers have to work hard at striking well, and the more ringing they do, the more effort they put into it. Sometimes in periods of longer ringing, in a peal for instance, when every single member of a band is striking well, the rhythm itself may take over, and it may then feel effortless to be carried along with the flow.
Ringers can become euphoric about such episodes.
But most of the time, to strike well involves hard work. Most people will acknowledge the importance of the sound of the bells for Sunday services and for weddings, but on practice night with the shutters closed, when you're struggling with bell-handling, ropesight and at the same time trying to remember a new method, it seems reasonable not to bother to listen as well. It is just irritating to be told that you'll understand its importance when you have more experience. There are reasons of self-interest, however, why it is better to combine the skills of looking and listening from the beginning. If you strike out of place, you can finish out of place.