NO one here has suggested that the F/O's lot in life is only to jerk the gear.
One of the problems I see in my current role in simulator work is a tendency for weaker pilots (some are Captains, others F/Os) to become overly-reliant on their support pilot to scrape through their checks.
Hence my comments about pre-emptive behaviour. It's nothing to do with ego - it's all about getting the person in the hot seat to step up to the plate. PM's role should be to stick to SOP, make standard callouts and do whatever non-handling duties the FCOM or Company designates. Obvious errors and omissions need to be brought to the attention of the other pilot. But when it becomes a pattern, something is amiss.
Interesting that some Captains would not allow their F/O to load more than computer fuel because presumably the computer is always right, or defy the FMS and start the descent a little early in order to feel more comfortable with the path, yet would turn a blind eye to breaches of Company uniform and grooming protocols (every company still has such a thing, do they not?)