History Main / ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime

** In another, as a fire ravages his city, he grabs an ax when the fire reaches his distillery. The narration says "John Jameson devised a brilliant plan. But there was simply no time, so, he devised another, slightly less-brilliant plan." Said plan is chopping open a sluice gate of a giant, stone dam to flood the city. Full version [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6orZrn-WrY here]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', Jade destroys Shendu after they beat him at the end of season 1. Unfortunately this allows other forms of evil beings to come forth, since the world NEEDS a balance of good and evil. The only reason it seems things float towards the good side of things is because said evil is sealed, NOT destroyed.
** It did provide a storyline for an entire season, though.
** Another smaller version is when Jackie destroys the talismans. He had hoped that their power would be destroyed and would end people misusing their powers, but unfortunately their powers can't be destroyed only their hosts (which were the talismans at the time) can. So now their powers seek out new hosts and he inadvertently started the talisman hunt all over again.

* Most of history can be fit under this, especially the really catastrophic parts.
** So can the really funny parts too.

* Eating large quantities of food, e.g. as part of a contest, may seem like a badass thing to do...until the food coma and wooziness kick in less than an hour later.

* Michael's bright idea in the ''KnightAndRogueSeries'' to be marked as a permanently irredeemable criminal, unprotected by laws, immediately judged harshly by all, rather than bring in a woman who used him as an unwilling test subject for trial and agree to work for his brother, who states that he doesn't even want to employ Michael if his younger brother hates the idea of working for him so much. He insists this will give him the freedom he wants... right up until people cheat him out of hard earned money for being a crook and he can't take the issue up with the law.

* ''{{Hannibal}}'' has this exchange where Mason Verger explains how he ended up in his current state, with some help from some drugs Lecter gave him during one of their "therapy sessions":

* "Hold my beer."

* This explanation gets used a lot in ''{{Nodwick}}''. Especially by Yeagar. Who, to be fair, has the wisdom of a lemming.

Compare the situational trope, NiceJobBreakingItHero.

* On ''Series/AttackOfTheShow'', they tested [[VinceOffer the Sham Wow!]] and [[BillyMays the Zorbees]], and used substances such as [[{{Squick}} vomit]]. Kevin nearly threw up on camera.

-->''Calvin:''' Neither have I.

--> '''Hobbes:''' I'll pass, thank you. I'm not interested in that stuff. I didn't [[DealWithTheDevil sell my soul to the devil.]]\\
'''Calvin:''' Neither have I.\\
'''Hobbes:''' [[NoodleIncident Yes, but you nearly did once.]]\\
'''Calvin:''' Well, it seemed like a good offer!

-->''Hold my beer. Watch this...''

* In the novel ''Knight Life'' by Peter David, Merlin says any question can be answered by one of three statements: "Everybody has to be somewhere," "God told me to do it," and "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

* Similarly to the ''OryxAndCrake'' example, in the ''[[Creator/AlastairReynolds Revelation Space]]'' universe an intelligent species of "hyperpigs" exists due to genetic manipulations conducted to provide transplant materials. While things are rocky for a long while, a hyperpig ends up being vital to saving all humans and hyperpigs from the Inhibitors.

** He also claims Elliot will likely feel this way about "[[GenderBender her]]" decision in [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-03 this comic.]]\\
\\
As promised: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-24 "It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time."]]

** He also claims Elliot will likely feel this way about "[[GenderBender her]]" decision in [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-03 this comic.]] As promised: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-24 "It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time."]]

** He also claims Elliot will likely feel this way about "[[GenderBender her]]" decision in [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-03 this comic.]]\\
\\
As promised: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-24 "It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time."]]

** He also claims Elliot will likely feel this way about "[[GenderBender her]]" decision in [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-03 this comic.]] As promised: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-24 "It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time."]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In {{DMFA}}, the cubi race are mentioned to be the kings of this, due to their emotion reading talents making them very emotional.
* Daniel Elliot Shive, author of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', says this when asked about the comic's name.
** He also claims Elliot will likely feel this way about "[[GenderBender her]]" decision in [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-03 this comic.]]
*** As promised: [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-06-24 "It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time."]]

* Similarly to the ''OryxAndCrake'' example, in the ''[[AlastairReynolds Revelation Space]]'' universe an intelligent species of "hyperpigs" exists due to genetic manipulations conducted to provide transplant materials. While things are rocky for a long while, a hyperpig ends up being vital to saving all humans and hyperpigs from the Inhibitors.
* Michael's bright idea in the ''KnightAndRogueSeries'' to be marked as a permamently unredeemable criminal, unprotected by laws, immediatly judged harshly by all, rather than bring in a woman who used him as an unwilling test subject for trial and agree to work for his brother, who states that he doesn't even want to employ Michael if his younger brother hates the idea of working for him so much. He insists this will give him the freedom he wants... right up until people cheat him out of hard earned money for being a crook and he can't take the issue up with the law.

This is also used sometimes as an explanation for ChaoticNeutral or ChaoticStupid actions. Contrast IDidWhatIHadToDo, which does the same as in this case, but for LawfulNeutral or LawfulStupid actions and their moral, rather than strategical, consequences.