cessnababe,
A very good point, and as a 40+-hours-to-first-solo pilot, one I make frequently. And I have a CPL(H) and nearly 500 hours f/w and rotary total time and....why bother, I have nothing to prove.
Yet the hours-to-first solo thread comes up regularly on this forum. And despite claiming not to, those who soloed early feel very good about it; those who didn't are embarrassed. I felt that way for a long time too.
Why do people feel so strongly that it matters? As many people have pointed out, there are all sorts of reasons for soloing early or late. And even if there aren't... Are pilots just an exceptionally competitive bunch, or what? Especially on a Private Flying forum, where everyone claims to fly for fun.
Maybe someone would like to explain this obsession to me please.