You're not wrong for beginners. They shouldn't use all or any of these tools starting out. But when you reach the point where you understand React and you start to reach the limits of React's features, i.e. inline styles isn't cutting it anymore, setState is growing too big and too complex, etc., that's when it starts to get hairy. Because continuing down the path of pure React is painful, but learning all these damn libraries is also painful. That's where a lot of people get lost imo.
Not to mention the times where the codebase predates you. My first experience with React was on a codebase that was pretty horribly managed. Basically a combination of magpie developers and a total lack of understanding of React patterns. When the developers are finding and trying to integrate the next new shiny lib every other week, it becomes a nightmare for any new developers.
I think far more people get lost trying to learn the libraries than grow an app to a size where pure react too painful.
First time I used react I hated it, because everything was done through flux, want to add a field to a form. Now you need to update 4 different files and create 8 methods. Not to mention interacting with non-react components in a react way can be super painful.
It was insane. Second time I dropped all of the libraries. Only used react, and any time I needed to use a non-react component I wrapped it myself, and many times did very unreacty things like use methods to do a lot of interaction.
And I loved it. Everything is so much easier. I can focus on solving the user's problems, and not my react problem.
The apps weren't huge, but they weren't small either. 3 months of work for 3 devs full time.
I had a similar experience with Redux, every event in the app went through redux. Click button > redux event fired > redux updates state > component catches state update > button listener fires.
It is a total nightmare and a horrible use of redux. That is like binding every variable and function to the window object because you have no concept of scope.
Not to mention the times where the codebase predates you. My first experience with React was on a codebase that was pretty horribly managed. Basically a combination of magpie developers and a total lack of understanding of React patterns. When the developers are finding and trying to integrate the next new shiny lib every other week, it becomes a nightmare for any new developers.