History Main / DeathByPragmatism

In essence, the pragmatist must die because he is the most dangerous character in the work (compare TheWorfEffect): his mere existence challenges the will of the god of his universe, The Author Himself. If the pragmatist gets free rein, then the author cannot tell the story in the way that he wishes, and so [[DivineIntervention he will eliminate the pragmatist at the earliest possible opportunity]].

One of the wonderful things about {{Horror}} {{Film}}s is that the JerkAss ''[[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality will]]'' [[AssholeVictim die]] a gory and satisfying death, usually by machete or eating crow. However, it's not always the obvious things like [[DeathBySex sex]], [[DeathByMocking mockery]], or [[DeathByMaterialism materialism]] that can do characters in, but... pragmatism?

* ''Film/ViolentNight'': Morgan Steele, a DirtyCoward wanna-be action film star who is one of the hostages, takes the first opportunity he can to push a few of the hostage-takers out of his way and flee the house with the objective to get to the security team the home's alarm summoned. Unfortunately for him, [[BodyguardBetrayal the security team turns out to have been bought by the hostage-takers]] and they [[MultipleGunshotDeath blow him away as soon as he gets close]].

* In ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'', when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of [[CrazySurvivalist Harlan]] shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city, but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

[[folder:Fan works]]

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1324337408077905200
%% Please start a new thread if you'd like to suggest an image.

[[folder: FanFic]]

* ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968'': Tension comes from the argument between charismatic, heroic Ben and cowardly, selfish Harry, about what is the best way to save everyone's lives; Ben wants to barricade the house, whilst Harry wants to take everyone down into the cellar, despite the fact that Ben believes that to be a death trap. Throughout the movie, Harry is portrayed in a cowardly and venal fashion, quite happy to lock people out of the house to save his own skin… and he's also ultimately shown to be right. Ben's plan results in the deaths of pretty much everyone but himself, and Ben himself only survives the night by, wait for it, locking himself in the cellar.

* In ''Film/TheReturnOfTheLivingDead'', the characters are finally killed because they decide they can't deal with the zombies themselves, and decide to risk prosecution by calling the military. The military nukes the whole town...take that as you will.

* Justified in ''Film/TheGingerdeadMan.'' The RichBitch comes up with the entirely sensible option of leaving the bakery where the [[AttackOfTheKillerWhatever homicidal gingerbread man]] is hiding. Unfortunately, the monster is clever enough to have trapped all the exits, and she is paid for her pragmatism with a knife to the face.

* In the {{Gamebook}} style ''Film/ReturnToHouseOnHauntedHill'', this is one of the possible choices viewers can make, amusingly enough. The pragmatic choice [[spoiler:gets everyone slaughtered in seconds]]. GenreSavvy viewers should know better.

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', choosing the options that don't involve being a MartyrWithoutACause will often cause you to [[ItsAWonderfulFailure die violently]] for reasons [[DroppedABridgeOnHim you couldn't have predicted]].
-->'''Tiger Dojo''': Try going back and choosing the [[LampshadeHanging stupid, immature choice]]!

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with]] [[ReminderOfImpossibility them]]. This is often done by making the pragmatist a selfish, amoral bastard who would [[DirtyCoward leave everyone to die to save their own hide]], or by having the character express their pragmatism in a way that [[KickTheDog Kicks the Dog]], setting them up for a KarmicDeath. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too — often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution again.

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with]] [[ReminderOfImpossibility them]]. This is often done by making the pragmatist a selfish, amoral bastard who would [[DirtyCoward leave everyone to die to save their own hide]], or expressing their pragmatism in a way that [[KickTheDog Kicks the Dog]], setting them up for a KarmicDeath. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too — often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution again.

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with]] [[ReminderOfImpossibility them]]. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too — often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution again.

* Debatably the case with Bridget von Hammersmark in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' after she shoots the unarmed Wilhelm in cold blood. Killing him is clearly the only sensible thing to do to protect the mission, but the audience has reason to like him and it comes across as a bit chilling. She then almost at once makes the murder pointless by [[WhatAnIdiot leaving behind obvious evidence]] that incriminates her and leads directly to her own death.

* In ''Film/TheThing1982'', Blair is probably one of the very first members of the team to realize just how bad the situation is. This causes him to completely flip his lid. He begins destroying vital equipment such as the radio, then kills all of the base's dogs, then nearly kills several people. Over the course of the film, it becomes clear that these were entirely valid decisions. He destroyed the radio (and possibly sabotaged the vehicles) to prevent a breach of quarantine, killed the dogs as they were the most likely to be infected, and tried to kill the others when they moved to stop him. By the end of the film, he not only dies, but we discover he is now the last and most intelligent of the infected, basically becoming the movie's BigBad.
** Of course, Your Mileage May Vary. Clothing continuity suggests that Blair was infected immediately after his computer simulation, and the destruction of the radio was to prevent the rest of the group from running off.

* On ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', the heroes frequently ShootTheDog as needed (although it sometimes seems they do it [[DesignatedHero even when a perfectly workable and non-morally compromising solution is available]]). Doing so also [[WhatTheHellHero frequently comes back to bite them in the ass]] a season or so later. Oddly, the otherwise highly GenreSavvy characters don't seem to have picked up on this pattern yet.
** This turned up in ''Series/StargateSG1'' as well, although not as often.
* This basically happens in ''Series/TheXFiles''. The Syndicate delayed an alien invasion by half a century, attempted to buy time to resist, and failing that to save at least a small portion of humanity. It was the only rational course of action, but yet they were STILL portrayed as villains.
** This is, of course, because their DealWithTheDevil meant they assassinated people looking into them, experimented on innocents, and generally had their own set of evil plots. Still, they were {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s rather than irredeemably evil.

** [[SubvertedTrope This is later shown to be a valid tactic]] — the Crusaders just [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer didn't bring a big enough gun]]. Hell, the first attack might have worked if they had thought to [[AlphaStrike fire every gun they had at once]]!

** Zig-zagged; following Harry's plan would also have led to them barricading themselves in with a ZombieInfectee with no knowledge of how to defeat it; this was the TropeCodifier for the zombie apocalypse, after all, so no one was GenreSavvy.

In essence, the pragmatist must die because he is the most dangerous character in the work: his mere existence challenges the will of the god of his universe, The Author Himself. If the pragmatist gets free rein, then the author cannot tell the story in the way that he wishes, and so [[DivineIntervention he will eliminate the pragmatist at the earliest possible opportunity]].

And they say "{{sensitivity training}}" is useless.

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with]] [[ReminderofImpossibility them]]. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too -- often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution again.

And they say "sensitivity training" is useless.

* ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968'': Tension comes from the argument between charismatic, heroic Ben and cowardly, selfish Harry, about what is the best way to save everyone's lives; Ben wants to barricade the house, whilst Harry wants to take everyone down into the cellar, despite the fact that Ben believes that to be a death trap. Throughout the movie, Harry is portrayed in a cowardly and venal fashion, quite happy to lock people out of the house to save his own skin... and he's also ultimately shown to be right. Ben's plan results in the deaths of pretty much everyone but himself, and Ben himself only survives the night by, wait for it, locking himself in the cellar.

* In ''Film/JurassicWorld'' we have the Paddock 11 supervisor, Nick. Although portrayed as a SurveillanceStationSlacker and a FatIdiot, he is the only one of the three men (which includes TheHero) inside the paddock who notices ''Indominus rex'' is about to cut them off as they run for the human-sized door. So he goes instead for the big maintenance door which is about to become the sole avenue of escape, managing to be the first person to [[HopeSpot get free]] and [[ConcealmentEqualsCover find somewhere to hide]]. [[spoiler:He untentionally lets ''I. rex'' free in the process, and one of the first things she does is knock aside the truck he's hiding behind and eat him.]]
* ''Film/Piranha3D'' had a particularly cold example of this. The pragmatist was determined to get to shore, so he used his motorboat to plow through people being attacked by Piranhas, almost certainly killing some of them. Then his propeller got caught in a girl's hair, and in the process of trying to start it up again he ripped off her face. It did no good, he was dead in the water, his boat was overturned by people trying to get away from the piranhas, and he was promptly eaten.

* In ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of [[CrazySurvivalist Harlan]] shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

* ''Series/FatherBrown'': In "Crackpot of the Empire", Father Brown and a number of others are invited to a NastyParty in an abandoned mill. When it is revealed what is happening, one of the guests--a pompous, bullying, autocrat--demands that they find a way out and orders everyone to search. When a freight elevator is found, he shoves his way past the others to be the first on board. However, the killer has anticipated his actions and the lift is rigged to crash straight into the basement, killing him.

** [[SubvertedTrope This is later shown to be a valid tactic]] -- the Crusaders just [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer didn't bring a big enough gun]]. Hell, the first attack might have worked if they had thought to [[AlphaStrike fire every gun they had at once]]!

** Ultimately subverted at the end of season 3 and a ways into season 4 -- [[spoiler:24 dies in the season 3 finale, while season 4 reveals Scott to be very much alive if completely unhinged.]]

* ''Film/StargateContinuum'': Baal meets his end by ''not'' being StupidEvil. While being more pragmatic than the typical Goa'uld gets him great results initially (such as offering the Jaffa freedom), this makes the other Goa'uld in his inner circle suspicious of him. Baal fails to consider that his underlings, being paranoid megalomaniacs, will happily [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder backstab him at the drop of a hat]], since he expected they would be swayed by the rewards that an alliance with him would offer them. So, as soon as he lets his guard down, Qetesh kills him and usurps his throne.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' had an episode where the kids all get stuck on a bus teetering over the edge of a cliff. The only reason they don't leave is due to a fear of a monster outside (which the driver made up). The only child (who also happens to be wearing a RedShirt) that questions the existence of the monster and leaves the bus promptly [[RealAllAlong gets eaten by said monster]].

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with]] [[ReminderofImpossibility them]]. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too -- often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution [[ShownTheirWork again]].

* In ''Film/WaroftheWorlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of [[CrazySurvivalist Harlan]] shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

* In ''Film/War of the Worlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of [[CrazySurvivalist Harlan]] shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

* In ''Film/WaroftheWorlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of [[CrazySurvivalist Harlan]] shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

* In ''Film/WaroftheWorlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of CrazySurvivalist Harlan shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

* In ''Film/WaroftheWorlds'' when Tom Cruise and his daughter (Dakota Fanning) take refuge in the basement of CrazySurvivalist Harlan shortly after his son is killed in a doomed military operation. Harlan, gone [[ObfuscatingInsanity insane]] after realizing that they were surrounded by the aliens, decides to tunnel his way out toward the city but instantly unsettles Tom Cruise due to the noise and his daughter's safety and kills Harlan.

In essence, the pragmatist must die because he is the most dangerous character in the work: his mere existence challenges the will of the god of his universe, The Author Himself. If the pragmatist gets free rein, then the author cannot tell the story in the way that he wishes, and so [[WriterOnBoard he will eliminate the pragmatist at the earliest possible opportunity]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' had an episode where the kids all get stuck on a bus teetering over the edge of a cliff. The only reason they don't leave is due to a fear of a monster outside (which the driver made up). The only child (who also happens to be wearing a RedShirt) to leave the bus promptly gets eaten by said monster.

First, it serves as an easy way to bring up and dismiss 'obvious' solutions, often via what amounts to a strawman -- it often wouldn't be a very long movie if the pragmatic character calls the authorities, has everyone sit together someplace safe until they arrive, and resolves everything in the first half-hour, would it? So the pragmatic character has to be dealt with, often accompanied by [[{{TheWarOnStraw}} excessive vilification]] to try and [[StrawVulcan tar their sensible ideas along with them]]. NeverRecycleYourSchemes is applied in spades here, too -- often the pragmatic character will be shown attempting to do some obvious thing that could ruin the movie (call the cops, [[ClosedCircle leave the area]], [[NeverSplitTheParty keep everyone from splitting up]], whatever); they'll fail and die gruesomely, and nobody will ever mention the pragmatic solution [[ShownTheirWork again]].