You have to look at the studies done on this, backed by real test results. "Fooling yourself" is not considering quantitative data and instead basing conclusions on gut-feelings about steel-on-pavement and/or qualitative observations.

There have been a number of studies done and they show studless tires--especially Blizzak--outperform studded tires in many, if not most, situations. Here is fairly comprehensive report on the subject:https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/551.1.pdf  ... skip to page 50 for conclusions. 

With Blizzaks you get not only better performance in general than studded tires but the benefit of not chewing up our highways, less diminishing effect from stud wear over time, and better safety for all since we can avoid those hydroplaning, wheel-grabbing twin ruts down the middle of every busy highway in Alaska which cost tens of millions to repair.