Speaking as an SLF i think this defines the conundrum and the appropriate path of action very nicely...
"One either submits to the designer's and engineer's intentions or as a professional aviator one draws a firm line over which the engineer is not permitted to cross. Hand-flying isn't "practise" - it is the finest way to maintain situational awareness. It is a human-factors defence activity which necessarily requires thinking and the attention of everyone."
I think in the end the effect of automation on the pilots ability to aviate under conditions of extreme duress goes to the heart of the matter. In my mind the thousands of hours a senior captain acquired hand flying under stress (arrival/departure in traffic, takeoff/approach in adverse weather etc) mentally prepared him for the unexpected. The more complex the mental aspects of "normal" flying the easier to transition to handling a truly catastrophic event (while a sim will help your preprepared since you know something will go wrong).