Brian,
Let me add my welcome! You have been given some very good (and very bad) advice! Sandy saved me from making a HUGE airplane mistake and I am forever thankful to her for it! (and I'll bet she doesn't even remember)
Anyway...
Thankfully LOGIC and FACT win out over stupidity every time and having an instrument rating does make you a safer pilot. The accident numbers bear this out time and time again!
The pilot who gave you this advice is a CFI who learned from the very best and gave you good advice, she is going to do my next flight review.
Any and all advanced training you get will and does make you a better and safer pilot, again, facts prove this point again and again. Best of luck with your search!
Keep asking questions!
