> Deciding to "install" a package is somewhat analogous to putting a
> library in your `load-path'.

Correct.

> That doesn't mean it gets loaded.

Also correct.

> Activating a package (`package-initialize') is somewhat analogous to
> loading a library.

Completely wrong. Activating a package does no such thing.

> "Installing" a library does not imply that you also want to
> load/activate it.

As has been pointed out, loading and activating are two entirely
separate operations.

> Radon was saying, I think, that for the package system Emacs dev has
> decided differently: it has decided that if you have installed a
> package then you want it activated in all your Emacs sessions
> (except emacs -Q). He said, I think, that this was decided because
> opt-in activation was too confusing for some users.

No, this was decided because we want installed packages to act the
same way as built-in packages: being added to the load path and having
their autoloads evaluated, but not having any of their features
required.