Oh I'm also in the group who prefer the men event above the others three, I found it more exciting.
RIskating fan, I agree with you. When a skater realizes that is not about beating someone else but just to be better, to top yourself is when they became another class. Plush said more than once that in the past he just wanted to win and beat the rest (well not those exact words but that was the idea) and when the season 00-01 started, he just changed the way of thinking, and he said that his only rival was himself and that season was great; and he is been that good every since then.
I think that is very good attitude of skaters, for instance take KVP he didn't won Worlds, he was not on the podium he was 12th? but I bet he was one of the happiest person there since he did probably his best performance of his life, so it was not about beating the rest, it was being better every day.