Started off riding mountain bikes in the early 90’s, didn’t bother with grips to start. But as I quickly found, riding rigid bikes with the crappy grips that most people used back then, gloves helped you hang onto the handlebars a bit better. I also skinned the palms of my hands a couple of times in low speed crashes without gloves, before learning the fabled “tuck’n’roll” method of crashing.
I’ve ridden with gloves pretty much ever since. These days I prefer it as I find it more comfortable, and my hands are better protected from things like branches, bushes etc on the trailside rather than the ground when I come off. I’ve got very soft delicate skin too (have to moisturise my hands quite often otherwise my knuckles can just crack open and bleed at times!), and my hands blister or get callouses readily riding without grips. I also think a wet/sweaty hand slips off a grip far more readily than a gloved hand does too.
But each to their own, and I can understand why many people prefer to ride without them. For instance GW likes very thin, in fact worn grips, with no gloves. I like quite chunky grips, with gloves. We’re all different!