Here's the way I look at it. Many commonly kept fish are pretty boring and really aren't at all interactive but can make for an awesome looking display tank, a look I personally prefer. Now don't get me wrong, I do love fish with personality, I have a flowerhorn that's really fun and interactive, but his tank is so boring otherwise! It seems that it's hard to make a visually appealing display with many of the big S.A cichlids because they love to rearrange everything to their liking. I'm not saying it's impossible, I just haven't seen many tanks with S.A cichlids I'd want as a display tank in my living room. I guess I personally like the aquascape design and visual appeal of a tank more than the personality of the fish in it.
But obviously, it's all down to personal tastes!