Pilots aren't a special breed. They are people. People that have spent their time on acquiring skills of timeliness, decision making, judgement, and co ordination. Nothing more than Joe Bloggs, just in a different environment. Do you eat or not? This is a life critical decision, as is do I pull now or let the aeroplane pile into the hill? In this sense pilot skills are just a specialisation like driving a fork lift or serving a meal in a restaurant. Money is the driving factor in private aviation.