I won't comment on the bulk of your post, but I do have to remark on your statements regarding pilots. Having worked in the air photo industry for many years, and having known lots of pilots, I can confidently say they are definitely not non-conformist types and they are definitely determined to follow the rules. Their training and indoctrination is all about rules and procedures and doing everything by the book. They make mariners, with whom they have much in common professionally and psychologically, look like irresponsible adolescents by comparison. Those who react instinctively and with less constraints are quickly weeded out. In fact, I can think of few professionals who are more conditioned to react like automatons than pilots are. They are part of the flight systems of their aircraft. I expect you could say the same for astronauts, who usually start out as pilots

I say this not as a criticism of aviators. On the contrary, I wouldn't have it any other way. And it is precisely this type of procedural thinking that allows pilots to react so quickly and effectively in an emergency event. They know instinctively when a situation has deteriorated to where it can no longer be handled by the book, and at that instant they can confidently go into a completely improvisational mode and deal with a totally unanticipated scenario. The reason they don't freeze up in emergencies like most of the rest of us do is because they have drilled with every conceivable emergency so often that they are never taken by surprise. Only repetitive indoctrination and a very disciplined personality can achieve this automatic response; just the opposite of the traits you have assigned them.

Pilots may well be leaders, particularly because that is what is demanded of officer training in the military where most pilots originate, but they are certainly not non-conformists, a personality type not particularly welcome in the armed forces, or in the left seat. The qualities which you are alluding to, aggressiveness, decisiveness, initiative, have nothing to do with non-conformism and willingless to break the rules. Just the opposite: the predictable personality is exactly who you want at your back when it hits the fan.

Having said that, I can see now that most of the conclusions in your remarks are based on faulty assumptions, but as I said, I don't plan to comment on the bulk of your post.