What an effing stupid thing to say. It's not about finding lumps, it about finding lumps EARLY ENOUGH to increase your chance of survival. Sure you can choose to wait until the tumour is large enough to be noticeable - I personally wouldn't want to wait. Once cancer has spread outside of the breast, it will kill you, eventually.

BTW I am having a breast removed later this year because a lump I found some time back was not fully investigated by my GP...what I wouldn't give to turn back the clock and have it dealt with back when I could've got away with a lumpectomy.

So, I say, feel your boobies. Do it often. Tell your friends to as well.