But if we move to the domain of guns, I'm AMAZED at how well and responsibly many many people in the US with little or no training use them in self-defense, which I attribute at least in part to centuries of ergonomic improvements, which for me and handguns reached their apotheosis in 1911.
Even if such an attitude and approach is appalling to someone who's father started taking him hunting with him when he was 3 (ditto all my siblings), started shooting a BB at 7, (safe) dove hunting at 11 (ditto my brothers), high school JROTC rifle team 16-18, etc. etc. etc., and never advise this, I can't argue with the empirical results, and the relatively low number of bad outcomes, all most all of which are due to misunderstanding the law and morals those are based on rather than bad gun handling.
You're not wrong, and this mindset isn't limited to people that are preparing for either a big earthquake (that'd be me, since I live in Japan) or the zombie apocalypse (much lower down on my priority list).
As a case in point, I personally know plenty of people that have bought pepper spray for self defense, but who have never once actually tried it out to see how it worked.
It's the Magic Talisman Of Protection mindset; e.g., "this object will protect me".