Being overly results-oriented is common for a lot of players. You'll hear, "Well, it worked, didn't it?" an awful lot after "bad" plays.

But really, it's poker and you can do whatever you want with your chips. I would say, however, that limping early in a tournament with T2 is definitely going to cost more players $$ in the long term. The main problem is when the player flops well but is still behind, and simply cannot get away from his hand. I've lost more $$ with two pair than any other hand. And once they hit once, and win a few chips, many start to chase too far with the same results in mind. Like they'll hit a ten and call another bet on the flop hoping to catch another ten or maybe a 2, and when they do they sometimes win, so they think it's smart.

You said yourself that not many chips changed hands, so in effect your are potentially risking your stack to win the occasional small pot. Remember, to make big chips, you need your opponent to also fall in love with his hand. If the situation came up where you are asked to put all of your chips in the pot and you are holding T's and 2's, you have simply created more opportunity to make a mistake, IMO.