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Skip-Shifting absolutely should not cause any problems, and while a double-clutch up-shift (which should've died out about 50 years with the advent of synchros) may prevent any issues, it absolutely should not be required by any modern transmission. If the transmission can't even stand up to a few thousand miles of basic skip-shifts we're all gonna have problems sooner or later.
GM manuals skip-shift by design. And they're some of the strongest OEM manual transmissions (Tremec T56/6060) available on the market. If they can force a 1->4 upshift, and do it on mild acceleration and unexpectedly to boot (pissing off everyone owner of GM manual vehicles) without damaging anything despite the often heavy loads placed on the transmission as a result, then Subaru's shouldn't be any differerent.
Skip-shifting shouldn't require driver re-training to avoid damaging the transmission (extreme examples like 1->6 or 6->3 withstanding). The fact that the synchros can't take the occassionaly skipped gear is worrisome. If the synchros are fine, and just not allowing the shift because the speeds are too disparate and therefore grinding when attempting to make the shift, I find that extremely odd for an OEM transmission and expect that out of something far more race-prepped. But if they are otherwise in fine condition, then I'll accept it as an odd engineering choice for a mass market vehicle and not be worried about their long-term health. Driver re-training for an engineering decision is fine (though it'll take some time to break the GM/mountains-of-torque-acquired habit of 1-3-6); not for a quality one or one related to someone want to cheap out on a piece of fairly important equipment.
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