It’s not always better to pass up on cheaper or more convenient alternatives of common foods, but when it comes to pepper - try to use whole peppercorns and grind them yourself.
Your pestle & mortar is handy for that sort of thing, or you can usually find mills with peppercorns to buy in your supermarket.
It’s almost impossible to tell what’s in pre-ground pepper. Not that I think that there’s something strange in it…but…just saying.
Pepper adds mild heat to food - a bit like a friendlier version of chilli. Having salt and pepper on the table is standard, but you don’t have to see it as a condiment. Sometimes it’s nice to let pepper do all the work for you.
Just salt and pepper can make a great dish. Especially if you get a bit experimentative and mix some different types of pepper together