What's all this about being a multiple time world champion is an accomplishment?

All that (for example) 12 title reigns (HHH) or 16 title reigns (Ric Flair) signifies is that you lost the belt so many times because you never have been a good champion. Why don't people start looking at it properly and look at the combined days that these guys have held the title for? And what's funny and deluded is that the likes of HHH and Flair view their multiple world title reigns as an accomplishment.