A comment I heard from someone once:
"Most passengers check their brains in with their bags"!
The aviation industry can't have it both ways. Passengers are expected to queue patiently, sit in a very small space, conform obediently to the commands of the staff, place trust in two people they never get to see. Essentially, they're asked to temporarily cease to be normal human beings.
Then, in an emergency, they're expected to turn instantly into pro-active, clear-thinking, crisis-handling experts?
Make people into sheep...you get sheep.