Right, but skills are learned by repeated action. The conundrum is pretty much like the chicken/egg question. How do you learn those skills that will allow you to be ready to face the unexpected? Sure, you can read and watch videos, but until you put it into practice, it's all just theory.
I was in an aviation program in college, the flight instructor said we were going to go do emergency maneuvers and she explained what to do and how to do it. We went and did some practice and things went pretty well. Then, we did a blindfold test. I was given a face shield that didn't allow me to see anything outside, but I could feel her twisting and turning the plane to disorient me. The test was when she said go. I flipped up the visor and had to correct the plane's flight. If I hadn't been able to practice before, I would never have been able to pass the test. Experience will always be the best teacher of all.
I guess my problem is that I've been thru MSF and I assume that new riders would go take that course as well. I forget that some people don't take the MSF. In a lot of ways, freeway driving (in a car) helps me be better at predicting driving behaviors of other drivers. It's how I've navigated through 101/880 traffic. I end up memorizing where people slow down, the little nuances that indicate a driver is looking to change lanes w/o a signal, or the person not paying attention. Knowing how I drive a car lets me better understand those situations and apply them to when I commute on my bike. I've been driving for 20 years, so that experience comes into play.
I have a far worse time when I have to commute with other riders. Some riders tend to be really timid about lane sharing and they ride their brakes while not letting anyone else pass by because they block the lane sharing portion of the road. They can be unpredictable at best.