an analogy: when kanetoads sets off in his car, he floors the accelerator, lays rubber and makes smoke, achieving his top speed within a few seconds of brakes release.
I prefer to gently accelerate, saving wear and tear on my engine and keeping the passengers happy with my smooth acceleration to my moderate cruising speed.
Unless we are at Santa Pod or some similar drag strip in the US, who would you rather sit beside?
My main concern though, would be the wear on my engine, which will eventually affect the performance and reliability. One day, I might need all the power I can get. It is nice to know that my engine is not worn out or close to expiration.
btw, I too have 40 yrs of flying experience and used flex/derate/reduced on almost every take-off for the last 25 or so.