Why do people rely on meta so much?

I mean this as a genuine question, absolutely no hate to those who do care a lot about that kind of thing. I'm just curious as to why people choose to play for meta over playing characters they like (either lore wise or just because they're fun to use). Personally, I pull for & play characters I really like personality wise and don't have any issues at all clearing game content, so it just makes me wonder why so many people prioritize optimization so much. My current team is DPS Baizhu hyperbloom (C0 Baizhu, C0 Raiden, C6 Xingqiu & C0 Kokomi) and literally the whole reason I made the team is bc Baizhu is fun.

So, if you're a meta player, what draws you to the playstyle?

Edit: I feel as though I should add that this is not to shame people who play differently than me. I simply want to learn more about other playstyles in a game I really love! I'm autistic so I have a hard time understanding perspectives that aren't mine and wanted to understand the appeal of playing that way! No judgement whatsoever.