"The rules, (or SOPs if you wish), are there for the guidance of the wise men and the blind obedience of the fools"
Ha ha thats a great quote but the problem is the self assessment that goes on with regard to determining who the 'wise men' are. Most pilots certainly won't put themselves in the second catagory
He had been bollocked by someone that the proceedures MUST be followed.
As a trainer, encouraging people to THINK has always been the challange
Some of these people have spent their whole lives being taught not to think (communist govts and corrupt military regimes, ) and it can be a real uphill battle to change that. In some countries I've visited/worked you'd think that they actually lack a common sense gene but that is not the case, they just had said gene clubbed to death from an early age.