This aspect of normalization of deviance has as an element the silly long checklists which are being evolved. Aircraft manufacturers are creating longer ones in more recent years, but then "operators" tend to add more and more. The result is near boredom completing one, and the temptation to skip it in part or in the whole. For this, operators who create longer checklists are a factor in the normalization of deviance, and I appoint some flying schools I have seen as major offenders.
There are some basics pilots must do, and I lump it all in to what I call and train as "configuration assurance". Is the aircraft properly configured for the next thing you're going to do with it? If you're not sure, take a few seconds now to review (like use the checklist) and assure it.
At the most primal: You're going to fly it; do the flight controls move freely, and will fuel get to the engine? If you as the pilot can't take responsibility for those two basic element without paper to remind you, you really need to re-evaluate your place in the sky!
In the mean time, as I review the Cessna 182 checklists for the "A" model to the "S" model, the Preflight goes from 26 items to 53, Prestart 9 to 11, Start (is that really a checklist, or just checklist format instructions?) 9 to 15, and Before Takeoff 12 to 22 items. Admittedly, the "S" model has a fuel pump, which the "A" model does not. But mostly I see this as Cessna learning expensive lessons about corporate liability over the decades, and attempting to solve the problem with longer checklists, rather than we all insisting on training and maintaining better basic discipline in pilots at all levels of skill.
We are normalizing of deviance from pilots maintaining basic cockpit discipline, and configuration assurance as an element of piloting skill. We allow those actions to be moved into aircraft specific checklists, which then become needlessly long, and return to promoting skipping.
I opine that "today's" pilots are trained with silly long checklists, and then use them as a crutch to proper self discipline, until they think they just don't need them any more. Did an instructor ever tell them to simply take mental responsibility for the plane?
I remember my Caravan type training, the Chief Pilot said: "Please always use the Cessna checklist for prestart, start, and pre takeoff." After that, she trained me specific flows in the cockpit, and refer to the checklist if uncertain - but always stop and think about what your were going to do with the plane next, and was it configured correctly?
But it is inexcusable for any pilot to fail to assure that the flight controls move before flight, the fuel will reach the engine(s) and the landing gear is in the correct position for landing. It's like failing to lower the AoA at the indication of an impending stall! Oh... Wait....