But without burn marks how can you tell you if the meat was burned or not!? /S

There still is some phycology behind seeing the marks that probably influences the person's experience.

Why people don't like strawberry drinks that would be clear without the red dye or probably don't enjoy them as much.

If you think something will taste good by appearance you can slightly trick yourself into the thing actually tasting better. Grill marks don't make the steak better, but people expect them.

We are weird animals. Probably part of that primitive brain that categorizes items that could kill you if you eat them using sight or smell that is being hijacked.

Guga's got me wanting a charcoal grill ASAP.

I souse vide my steaks, then place them in a flat cast iron pan with a good amount of butter, slide them around the pan slowly for 15 seconds, flip and repeat. Moving the steaks slowly around the pan ensures they get an even perfect sear across the entire side. I’ll never go back to preparing the steaks another way.