I have never seen a single recipe for mashed potatoes that did not call for milk, cream, or broth of some sort (not even Vegan recipes). Ever. Never seen a single cook from any country (in person or on TV/YouTube) make them without adding something like this. Along with seasoning of some sort. Bare minimum.
Plenty of people eat them like that all around the world. Never heard of anyone adding milk to potatoes.
Judging by a short internet search and the majority of comments in this thread, yours seems to be a somewhat exotic experience.
Just give mashed potatoes with some additional seasoning and moisture source a try someday. Might be worth it!
I have never seen a single recipe for mashed potatoes that did not call for milk, cream, or broth of some sort (not even Vegan recipes). Ever. Never seen a single cook from any country (in person or on TV/YouTube) make them without adding something like this. Along with seasoning of some sort. Bare minimum.