My experience doesn't agree with what you posited. I know more people who add water and/or ice to their whisky here than don't.
Some years ago I spoke with the master brewer of the Glenfiddich distillery in an event in London.
Knowing that there was some controversy around adding ice and/or water to whisky (there are all sorts of arguments around that - I even heard one stating that the ice breaks down the whisky molecules, which made me laugh a little) I asked him about it. Who better to ask after all?
He smiled and said that it's perfectly fine to add ice, that he does it all the time, and of course it doesn't do anything harmful to the whisky.
Same goes with water. "In fact," he said, "adding water is a good thing as it brings out the flavour. I do it every time."
Drinking whisky straight anaesthetises your tongue/tastebuds/mouth, you'll not taste the flavour. I've had superior whisky drinking experiences with adding water and/or ice.
Drinking water alongside whisky, or adding a few drops to whisky was very commonly seen, both in bars, and at home. As you'd expect there are often wee taps on the bar for that purpose, or small jugs of water served alongside.
My comment was really relating to adding ice in particular, and I have to say I've only ever seen that done extremely rarely. Of course anecdotes aren't data, and people have their own specific preferences - I'd certainly not suggest it is "wrong" to have ice, but I would say it is unusual (and more a thing I associate with Americans).