Depends on your tastes I suppose. I think anyone who advocates not learning an instrument on that sort of basis is cutting of their nose to spite their face.
I also tend to think that appreciating music on a strictly technical-playing level is sort of important. I think a lot of jazz is really difficult to appreciate without some sense of 'these are good musicians', and while shred is legions away from jazz in many ways, it's still possible to enjoy people playing their instruments with a high degree of virtuosity.
Meanwhile, have some
SRV.