I like to have a connection with the elements and the earth. Rock is the skin of the planet, and you can learn something from the rock, but you need to communicate with element. You have to be part of the element, not fight it.
I don't think of myself as a grading barometer and I doubt if any climber could be one.
Climbing is often group activity and it's always inspiring to see how other people, who share your passions, do things.