There is nothing wrong with being called noble.. I meant it as a positive quality. Like in Wrath of Khan when Spock died. It was a noble act and sacrifice. Why is it so offensive that I can see or anyone can see nobility in another? The amounts of times Tuvok took a beating for another.
I refuse to see Vulcans through a one-dimensional filter or disregard the genuine impression I got from watching the Original and the following depictions of Vulcans. I'm not the only one who rates Vulcans as being a civilised culture that is not locked in its past. No other culture is either no matter what norms and rituals they still possess. There has to be a reason why Spock who epitomises a Vulcan characterisation more that a human one was set apart as this 'superior' example. The writing left that impression. However if other people have a mindset of Spock as some brute then that is what they saw.
I don't believe anyone is saying that being noble is "wrong." It's a disagreement as to the term assigned to the Vulcans, specifically, based upon what is shown in TOS. It would be more helpful if the impressions that TOS left upon you and how you define them as noble, because we're not all going to use the same descriptors.
As much as I like Spock, and even more with the Kelvin Trek, he might hold to Vulcan ideals, but that doesn't mean that all of Vulcan culture is like that. Again, as much as I like Vulcans, their culture has its ups and downs as well, and in some ways, yes, they are stuck in the past. What is the ritual of "pon farr" but a return to the Vulcan's more savage roots? Why is there all the rituals associated with death rites, Kholinar, and the like? It is all part of their cultural past that informs their current society.
Secondly, what's with the painting of the extremes? It's not like Spock only has two settings-"brute" or "noble." Spock was a very dynamic character, with incredibly strong emotions that he kept in check, most of the time. He was also able to strike a balance between the two as he became older. I would highly recommend the book "I am Spock" to see what Nimoy did as part of creating the character and the process he went through to do so.
Finally, I think Vulcans are like humans, in their culture. It's a mix of good and bad, things they are proud of (Surak) and things they are ashamed of (pon farr). TOS left the impression, at least on me, that it is a highly ritualized culture, and that even Spock struggled to find acceptance there.
