Why not? It's a stereotype for pure mathematicians to like what they do because it's not applied, even though - like all stereoptypes - it has to be taken with a grain of salt.
The thing is, once something is applied, it has to deal with all the complexity and uglyness of the real world. But if you stick to abstract ideas, you are only limited by your imagination and logic. The mundane aspects of an applied field can detract from the pure beauty of an abstract subject.
I am not saying that this is always true, and sometimes it is nice to see applications of some abstract concepts. But many people intentionally shy away from applications towards a more theoretical field.
The thing is, once something is applied, it has to deal with all the complexity and uglyness of the real world. But if you stick to abstract ideas, you are only limited by your imagination and logic. The mundane aspects of an applied field can detract from the pure beauty of an abstract subject.
I am not saying that this is always true, and sometimes it is nice to see applications of some abstract concepts. But many people intentionally shy away from applications towards a more theoretical field.