To Filter or Not to Filter? ..... just dont get the Kenko

Lack of updates.
Probably my GAS has slowed down.
Or it's satisfied for now...

Well i just got back from Singapore and i brought back with me an Olympus 25mm 1.8 home. I bought the silver color. There's just something about Black camera and Silver lens combination. I also bought the JJC Square lens hood also in silver to go with it .... although there's already a lens hood comes with the Oly 25mm. But i just love the look of square lens hood. Ya, i know.. aesthetic over functionality. help me. i also got the extended grip. It is comfy! although it adds a bit of size.

taken with iphone4

And then came the question of "To Filter or Not To Filter?" ...
The salesman offered me if i wanted to buy a filter to protect the lens.
I always have a filter on my lens although its probably not a good idea.
Its like riding a bike, you either put on a visor or not. You'd see clearly and better without the visor but no protection from bugs and whatsoever hitting your face!
Thats why i ride with a visor on. i need to protect my eyes.
I guess thats my mindset too on my camera lenses. Its better without filter but i still put filters on my lenses to protect from dirts, scratches, bumps, ding and so on. and i also got lazy to take out the filter when shooting, so its on all the time.
Although there's a theory that lenses are not easily scratch. Even if it's scratched, its not gonna be visible through the viewfinder or the photos but i cant confirmed that and i dont wanna take my chances too!
But the bad move was this..... i have the habit of buying the cheapest filter available.
To put a piece of cheap glass infront of an expensive glass is ... you go figure... there's a reason for cheap and expensive quality value.
I already spent so much on the lens and to spend more on filter is just ridiculous. thats what i thought.
Came Kenko.
Its cheap. its there to protect the lens. and maybe just shoot just fine. i said maybe.
It was on my XM1 too and theres no affect on quality unless if i pixel peep too much or eyeballing the pics. i've never done comparison so i never know.
So i bought it.

I took it out for a spin.
And i see it.

Naked. No filter on. 

With Kenko Cheap filter. Do you see something?

Crazy amount of flare with filter on.

Thats when i stopped using Kenko.