History Main / IDontPayYouToThink

* As explained earlier, this also applies to some senior military and / or law enforcement officers who think that "following orders" is ultimately a soldier / police officer's only purpose in life. Some even try to justify it with the "thinking will only get you killed" / "teamwork" explanations.

** At one point, Tagon tries this line on Ennesby, a small floating robot who serves as his adjutant. Ennesby immediately shoots back that, by definition, his job as an adjutant (not to mention an ArtificialIntelligence) ''is to think'', "and when you get right down to it, [[RobotsAreJustBetter I'm better at it than you are]]".

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' [[MonsterOfTheWeek Villain of the Week]] Professor Pau delivers an interesting variation: "I don't pay you to think. I pay ''[[DragonWithAnAgenda Max]]'' to think. Now don't touch anything while I talk to Max."
** At one point, Tagon tries this line on Ennesby, a small floating robot who serves as his adjutant. Ennesby immediately shoots back that, by definition, his job as an adjutant ''is to think'', "and when you get right down to it, [[HypercompetentSidekick I'm better at it than you are]]".

To some degree, TruthInTelevision; many large organizations, such as the military, depend on everyone sticking to the same plan, and it isn't always reasonable to convince or fully explain it to each and every person involved, so acting on individual decision-making instead of instructions can undermine your organization's larger goals. A soldier who thinks too much and doesn't obey orders is therefore considered a liability. It's worth pointing out that despite the listed beneficts of groups following the same plan, [[StrawmanHasAPoint a good Point or Idea shouldn't just be thrown away carelessly]].

* In the ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "To Hull and Back", DirtyCop DCI Slater says this several times to his [[ServileSnarker subordinate and drive PC Hoskins]]. This ends up backfiring horribly on him, when it turns out the Met are onto his corrupt practices and Hoskins drives him into a police sting.

* In the ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "To Hull and Back", DirtyCop DCI Hoskins says this several times to his [[ServileSnarker subordinate and drive PC Hoskins]]. This ends up backfiring horribly on him, when it turns out the Met are onto his corrupt practices and Hoskins drives him into a police sting.

To some degree, TruthInTelevision; many large organizations, such as the military, depend on everyone sticking to the same plan, and it isn't always reasonable to convince or fully explain it to each and every person involved, so acting on individual decision-making instead of instructions can undermine your organization's larger goals. A soldier who thinks too much and doesn't obey orders is therefore considered a liability.

->'''Fezzik''': "I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl."
->'''Vizzini''': "Am I going mad, or did the word 'think' escape your lips? You were ''not'' hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass!"
-->-''Film/ThePrincessBride''

->''Fezzik'': "I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl."
->''Vizzini'': "Am I going mad, or did the word 'think' escape your lips? You were '''not''' hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass!"

''Vizzini'': "Am I going mad, or did the word 'think' escape your lips? You were '''not''' hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass!"

->'''R. J. Fletcher:''' You idiot! Can't you do anything right? Does this look like a number two pencil to you?\\
'''Richard Fletcher:''' No, I just thought...\\
'''R. J. Fletcher:''' You '''''thought?!''''' I don't pay you to think!\\
'''Richard Fletcher:''' But daaaaaad!\\
'''R. J. Fletcher:''' SHUT UP!
-->-- ''Film/{{UHF}}'', as it establishes who the villain is and [[{{Jerkass}} just how evil he is]]. He gets eviller.

* In the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Speedy Gonzales]] cartoon "Mexicali Shmoes," a fat cat explains how to catch Speedy to his skinny friend.
-->'''Fat Cat:''' You can't catch him weeth the feets. You've got to catch him weeth...er, weeth the brains.
-->'''Skinny Cat:''' Brains? Where do we get thees brains?
-->'''Fat Cat:''' You don't need the brains. ''I'' have the brains.

* A DeconstructedTrope in ''Brisingr'' from ''Literature/InheritanceCycle''. Roran, the brother of the main protagonist Eragon, has joined the Varden's army and been sent on a dangerous mission in of the town's of BigBad Galbatorix. He's been given temporary command of a group of warriors, but is still under the command himself of a captain who has just ordered a rock-headed strategy to attack the town that is essentially suicide, a head-on assault pretty much guaranteed to result in failure. After the captain leaves, Roran implements his own strategy, but warns that everyone in his group may be made to take the punishment. All follow him and he ends up killing nearly 200 enemy forces through his own strength, secures the victory, and ends up rescuing the idiot captain and what few soldiers of his own he has remaining. Afterwards, Roran is stripped of his weapon and left for appropriate punishment. Upon return to the Varden, Roran is hailed by a hero, but still ordered that he must take 100 lashes if he wishes to remain with the Varden, the Varden's leader Nasuada explaining that his punishment must be severe and must be public, or else others will believe they too can disobey orders and the chain of command will break down. Afterwards, she promotes him to captain, as he is too valuable to lose, and this way she can be sure that the only orders he can disobey are ''hers'', which had better only happen if it's in the process of directly killing Galbatorix.

-->'''[[TheNameless Sweep 1]]''': "[[OnlySaneMan I think that plasma bath fried Galvatron's circuits.]]"

* From Website/NotAlwaysRight: "[[http://notalwaysright.com/when-crazy-requests-reach-the-stratosphere/42893 When Crazy Requests Reach The Stratosphere]]" - "You’re not paid to think, so just put a new satellite up." "But ma'am, that would take several months and millions of dollars!" "You and I both know that's not true; I expect it up by tonight, and it better not affect my bill."

* ''Webcomic/MSPaintMasterpieces'': [[Franchise/MegaMan Dr. Wily]] believes that robots should only follow orders, and blames one of Enker's failures on the fact that he '''THOUGHT''' when Wily is the one who does the thinking "around here" regardless of Quintet pointing out the flaw in his logic.

* One standalone strip in ''Webcomic/{{Fluble}}'' rides this for all its worth, with Clown's boss saying no less than three variations of it:
-->"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to ask relevant questions! I pay you to shred Arruda files!"\\\
"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to point out my obvious stupidity! I pay you to make Arruda files!"\\\
"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to shred Arruda files! I pay you to shred Arruda files!"

Can overlap with IWarnedYou if the villain disregards something their henchman was trying to tell them, and it ends up being fatal.

* In the ''OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "To Hull and Back", DirtyCop DCI Hoskins says this several times to his [[ServileSnarker subordinate and drive PC Hoskins]]. This ends up backfiring horribly on him, when it turns out the Met are onto his corrupt practices and Hoskins drives him into a police sting.

* This is inverted on ''Series/{{Newsradio}}'' in a episode. Dave brings a problem to Jimmy and Jimmy points out Dave was hired to worry about these problems so Jimmy doesn't have to deal with them.

Can overlap with IWarnedYou if the villain disregards something their henchmen was trying to tell them and it ends up being fatal.

->'''R. J. Fletcher:''' You idiot! Can't you do anything right? [[FelonyMisdemeanor Does this look like a number two pencil to you?]]\\