I was once quite judgemental about other people's work and whether I liked it or found it worthy. Then I realized they were just like me going down their own path and living their own life. Where it gets kind of muddy is when someone external finds a way to make money or promote that person and then the superlatives fly around and we find things we are SUPPOSED to like. And that creates a life of it's own and its own momentum. Gallery bullshit, hanger-ons, book publishers, obsessive self promoters, all finding ways to promote for money.
I'd bet if you asked any of the greats in photography, they would only have less than half a dozen of their own work they truly find exceptional in their mind. Maybe less.
Karsh and HCB were not the same and never made striking or emotional war shots. Mathew Brady's shots can't be compared to Ansel Adams'. Eisenstadt and Helmet Newton were not the same. Some people are great technicians and others are great visionaries. We can learn from all of them and discard the marketing and the hype and hero worship and realize they got up every morning and proceeded to do what they loved to do.
All these photographers were just doing their own thing. We can take them or leave them. But we can also learn from all of them.