Exactly right. If i go home at the end of the day with all my fingers still on my hand, i have prevented the insurance company from making a case payout. Sounds like a win for me.
Dumb seeming or not, for them it is about the likelihood of having to make a payout. That is based on previous accident history and what was found in the investigation. Some rules and designs work directly to prevent the loss, some are supportive in reducing the chance. It usually takes both approaches so the person doing the work goes home intact. The supportive rules seem to get the most complaints because people are smart and can figure out another way to do the work, maybe cheaper, maybe faster. Maybe so. I would not want to be on a flight where the machine operator (pilot) does not use the checklists before leaving the ground.