As a trackpoint user, I am glad it's off by default.
Because of scrolling on Thinkpad keyboards (using the middle click), I had to turn that feature of every time, especially while working on longer documents I would otherwise accidentally paste stuff at random places.
(It's not just macOS.)
No way, José.
From where I sit I have 5 Thinkpads set up within reach, and I have a few more in other rooms. They are by far my preferred laptop.
Most run Ubuntu as their default OS, most have the trackpad disabled because I usually use the trackpoint for everything, and on all of them I use middle-click to paste extensively.
Glad you're less clumsy than I am. :-)
The accidental pasting definitely kept happening to me, likely due to my bad habit of highlighting sections while to focus on them.
I’ve used a thinkpad for 26 years, 18 with Ubuntu. I’ve always had middle click enabled.