Flying a plane is just a small part of the job...
Disagree with the second quote, I'm with Greenlight.
'Handling the Hardware" when everything is going as planned, or programmed, can be taught to a monkey ( or a computer / autopilot) being the Captain is something that can't be taught by rote, hopefully one acquires the necessary skills whilst sitting in the right hand seat.
Took me 16 yrs. before I was offered the chance to move left, but even then I hadn't seen some of the events that I had to deal with in the next 20 - with no text book or Company SOP Manual to guide me.
it's called The Loneliness of Command.