The instructor that chewed you out sounds like an arse. Anyone questioning your motivation to become a pilot because you were landing without flaps needs to be shown off the field. Tell him to go pound sand.
I can't speak for ALL aircraft, but certainly all aircraft I have flown can, and should, be landed without flaps. You should be proficient at landing the aircraft in as many different configurations as possible. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I landed an aircraft that even HAD flaps! I MUCH prefer using a slip than flaps. I feel like I have much finer control over the aircraft (probably a myth, but I've flown flapless aircraft for so long now, I'm just much more familiar with slips).
In the early days, follow your instructor's lead and don't push the boundaries too much. He'll be able to judge your abilities and knowledge and lead you to expand your repertoire appropriately.