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5->'''Fezzik:''' I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl.\
6'''Vizzini:''' Am I going mad, or did the word "think" escape your lips? You were ''not'' hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass!
7-->-- ''Film/ThePrincessBride''
8
9A StockPhrase that indicates that an employee wasn't hired for their brains; they were put on the team to follow the leader's orders without a debate.
10
11Sometimes, it's important to think on your feet or challenge instructions. A mind is a terrible thing to waste and a little brains can take you a long way. But people in authority sometimes fear those with a brain in their head. After all, someone who thinks is someone who may start to question authority, ''their'' authority. The basic idea is that someone in a lowly position gets a bright idea, but is told that either they're not paid to think, or that it's not their job to think, or some other form of that. Might be a low-level employee in a company, or it could be a minion or {{mook}} to the BigBad.
12
13To some degree, TruthInTelevision; many large organizations, such as the military and police depend on everyone sticking to the same plan, adhering to protocol, and and following orders. It isn't rarely feasible 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 questioned procedures and plans too much and doesn't obey orders is considered a liability. It's worth pointing out that despite the listed benefits of groups following the same plan, [[StrawmanHasAPoint a good critique or idea shouldn't just be thrown away carelessly]].[[note]]After all, much like parents and teachers, senior officials are not always right.[[/note]]
14
15In the end, however, bosses who hold to this philosophy only have themselves to blame when they find themselves SurroundedByIdiots. If this is common in your work place, it's one of the sure signs your boss is unfit for the job. Those who adhere to this are [[MeanBoss Mean]], [[BadBoss Bad]], and/or a PointyHairedBoss, TheNeidermeyer, and ControlFreak (especially them). A BenevolentBoss and AFatherToHisMen on the other hand will not only defy this, but will encourage their subordinates to speak their mind as they see it as a sign of healthy relationship.
16
17If the boss or BigBad is seriously annoyed by this thinking behavior, he may demote said employee/minion to an ''even lowlier'' position, fire them ([[YouHaveFailedMe sometimes literally]]), or tell them YouGetMeCoffee.
18
19May occasionally be responded with "You don't pay me at all" by those who work for free.
20
21Note that actual payment, or non-payment as the case may be, need not necessarily be involved - "I don't pay you to think" is in many cases just as much an attitude as it is a phrase actually spoken out loud.
22
23Can overlap with IWarnedYou if the villain disregards something their henchman was trying to tell them, and it ends up being fatal. If your role is a YesMan, then you can simply assume that this is true and shouldn't need to have it said to you.
24
25A subtrope of BlindObedience. See also, DontThinkFeel.
26
27Contrast ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight, which too much of this trope can ultimately lead to, as well as MistreatmentInducedBetrayal.
28
29----
30!!Examples:
31[[foldercontrol]]
32
33[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
34* In ''Manga/DrStone'', when [[TheDragon Kirisame]] suggests destroying the ship belonging to the Kingdom of Science under the basis that it contains "[[ClarkesThirdLaw sorcery]]" beyond their understanding and that it could be dangerous, [[EvilChancellor Ibara]] cuts her off, retorts with "are you trying to give me your opinion?" and finally shuts her up by stating that it is the will of their master to keep the ship intact. [[spoiler:Which is in fact a big fat lie; Ibara petrified the master years ago and is barking orders in his name so that people won't question his authority.]]
35* Inverted in an episode of the English dub of ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', when Divine tells his CaptainObvious lackey as they're observing Aki, "I don't pay you to tell me what I know -- she needs fixing!"
36[[/folder]]
37
38[[folder:Comic Books]]
39* A single panel strip from ''StickyComics'' features a boss saying this line and nothing else to a corporate scientist.
40[[/folder]]
41
42[[folder:Comic Strips]]
43* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'': Wally's general attitude is the inversion: you don't pay me ''enough'' to think.
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
47* In the original ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', Horace comments "I've been thinking," and Jasper grabs him by the shirt and tells him that he's warned him about thinking. "I've got the knob for this job, so let's get on with it."
48** They do this again later as they hunt the fleeing Dalmatians. They follow their tracks in the snow to a bridge over a frozen creek, only to become confused when the pawprints mysteriously stop. Unbeknownst to them, the Dalmatians are hiding from them under the bridge.
49--->'''Horace:''' Jasper, I've been thinking--\
50'''Jasper:''' ''(sharply)'' Now, Horace!\
51'''Horace:''' ''(shining a flashlight down at the creek)'' [[DumbassHasAPoint But what if they went down the froze-up creek so as not to leave their tracks?]]\
52'''Jasper:''' ''(grabbing him by the shirt)'' Oh, Horace, you idiot! Dogs ain't that smart!
53* In ''WesternAnimation/RockAndRule'', Mok comes up with this gem when his talking-head minions actually dare to voice their doubts about his plan:
54-->'''Mok:''' When I want your opinions, I'll ''give'' them to you!
55* A slightly different version of this trope in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Adventures of Tintin|2011}}''.
56-->'''Sakharine:''' Do I pay you to talk to me?\
57'''Nestor:''' [[ServileSnarker You don't pay me at all.]]
58* This is Barb's response to Riff saying that he thinks he heard the Yodeler Trolls were lost in an avalanche in ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour''. He replies that he's working for college credit.
59[[/folder]]
60
61[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
62* ''Film/ThePhantom1943'': A henchman gets it from the villain after he gets ahead of himself in disposing of someone who hasn't outlived his usefulness quite yet.
63* In ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII'', Whit says "I think she's telling the truth" to which Walker replies "Really? Well, I don't pay you to think, do I? I pay you to lie, cheat, and steal."
64* In the film ''Dark Blue'', Jack Van Meter tells Sgt. Eldon Perry Jr. "Your job is not to think. It is to follow orders, to execute plans and to be a good soldier."
65* ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'':
66-->'''R:''' ''(after botching a BondOneLiner and being called on it by Q)'' I ''think''--\
67'''Q:''' You're not here to think, you're here to do what I tell you!
68* Vizzini to Fezzik in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'': "Am I going mad, or did the word 'think' just escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippapotamic land mass!"
69* In ''Film/{{Tron}}'', Sark tells an underling, "Don't think anymore. I do the thinking around here."
70* ''Film/TotalRecall1990'' (1990). Cohaagen is berating his subordinate Richter. [[spoiler:Cohaagen plans to use Quaid to infiltrate LaResistance on Mars, but Ritchter and his men haven't been told to prevent the plan being found out by the Resistance psychics.]]
71-->'''Cohaagen:''' First you try and kill Quaid, and then you let him get away!\
72'''Richter:''' He had help from our side, sir.\
73'''Cohaagen:''' I know that.\
74'''Richter:''' But I thought...\
75'''Cohaagen:''' Who told you to think? I don't give you enough information to think. You do what you're told. That's what ''you'' do.
76* Agent Smecker gets a few of these in ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'', including one along the lines of, "Greenly, the day I want the Boston Police to do my thinking for me, I will have a fucking tag on my toe!" Though in Smecker's case, it's more of looking down on their investigative capacity than "hiring them for their brains."
77* ''Film/ThingsToCome'' actually has this line used in a RousingSpeech given by The Chief, a local tinpot dictator, to the men who've tried to provide him with an air force (a few decrepit biplanes) capable of taking on John Cabal's huge flying wings.
78-->"You are not mechanics, but warriors. You have been trained not to think, but to die. I salute you! I, your Chief!"
79* The villain of ''Film/KissOfTheDragon'' executes one of his own men for this reason.
80-->[Richard and his men have chased Liu inside the supply room]
81-->'''Richard:''' Check the vent!
82-->'''Thug:''' I think...
83-->'''Richard:''' [shoots him] Don't think!
84* Weird Al's ''Film/{{UHF}}'' has R. J. Fletcher, the CorruptCorporateExecutive who is so evil he does this to his own son.
85* ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'': Walter Peck arrives at the team's HQ to shut down their ghost containment unit with a police officer and an electrical-worker. While Peter protests, the electrical-worker takes a look at the equipment and determines that it really ''isn't'' a good idea to mess with it. Peck says tells the electrical-worker. "I'm not interested in your ''opinion''; just shut it off!"
86* In ''Film/SwimmingWithSharks'', Buddy Ackerman has a lot of this, at any of his employees.
87* In ''Film/{{Snatch}}'', [[LondonGangster Brick Top]] doesn't like his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Errol to do any thinking.
88--> '''Brick Top:''' He's been quite a busy little bastard, that [[Creator/JasonStatham Turkish]].
89--> '''Errol:''' I think you've let him get away with enough, Guv'nor.
90--> '''Brick Top:''' It'll get you in a lot of trouble thinking, Errol. I wouldn't do too much of it.
91--> (''later'')
92--> '''Brick Top:''' What do you think, Errol?
93--> '''Errol:''' I think we should drip dry 'em, Guv'nor. While we've got the chance.
94--> '''Brick Top:''' (''exasperated'') It was a rhetorical question, Errol. What have I told you about thinking?
95* ''Film/TheThing2011''. Kate objects to taking a tissue sample from the ice-bound alien. Her boss reprimands her for questioning his authority in front of the others. "You're not here to think. You're here to get that thing out of the ice."
96* ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' has an example of this when Rocky only collects 130 dollars from someone who owed his boss 200:
97--> '''Rocky:''' I figured... look, I figured if I break the guy's thumb, he gets laid off, right? Then he can't make...
98--> '''Gazzo:''' Yeah, well don't figure! Let me do the figurin', okay, Rock? From here on in, just let me do the figuring, you know? These guys think we're running some kind of charity or something. That they can get off light. From here on in, do what I tell you to do, because it's bad for my reputation! You understand?
99* In ''Film/{{If}}'', the boarding school "whips" in the AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil are waited on hand and foot by younger pupils, who are certainly not expected to think for themselves.
100--> '''Rowntree:''' What are these?
101--> '''Philips:''' Muffins.
102--> '''Rowntree:''' I thought I specifically ordered crumpets.
103--> '''Philips:''' I couldn't get any, I thought these would do.
104--> '''Rowntree:''' It's not up to you to think.
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Literature]]
108* In ''Literature/TheInvisibleHeartAnEconomicRomance'', a boss tells an employee "I really don't care what you think. I don't pay you to think. I especially don't pay you to think about corporate strategy. I pay you to run the research department and run it well."
109* In ''Literature/PrisonRomance'', this occurs with a ho who is told "I don't pay you to think, I don't pay you to talk..."
110* In ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', Directive 10-289, the "moratorium on brains," chains all existing employees to their jobs, with a potential penalty of jail for any that quit. If any do quit, anyway (or lose their job for other reasons), that job is then assigned to someone else by a government committee, regardless of that person's ability to actually do the job.
111* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
112** Dr. Cruces gets Lord Downey both coming and going in ''Literature/MenAtArms''.
113--->'''Downey:''' Doctor, I think--\
114'''Cruces:''' Think? You're not paid to think! Heaven knows where the idiot has got to. I ordered the Guild searched! Why didn't anyone force the door?\
115'''Downey:''' Sorry, doctor, Edward left us weeks ago and I didn't think--\
116'''Cruces:''' You didn't ''think''? What are you paid for?
117** In ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'', Smeems tells Mr Nutt he's not paid to think. Nutt responds with a bland "Shall endevour not to do so, sir", but when Smeems asks him to work out how to [[ItMakesSenseInContext get him down from the Emperor Candle]], Nutt can't resist replying "I thought I wasn't paid to think, sir."
118** In one of ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld'' books, Ridcully asks Ponder if he's being paid to think. Ponder calmly replies that yes, he is.
119* Similarly in ''Literature/{{Friday}}'' by Creator/RobertAHeinlein. The Chief of the [[DividedStatesOfAmerica California Confederacy]] tells one of his minions that HE does the thinking, then moments later chews the minion out for not getting Friday a chair, saying: "Do I have to think of everything myself?"
120* This is the attitude of many of the vermin commanders in the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' series of books.
121-->'''Tsarmina''': Thought?! Who gave you permission to think?
122** This actually gets one of the villain underlings killed in ''Mossflower''. Sent out to trail Tsarmina, he comes back to one of her commanders and says that he thought he'd better come back and report. At first, he is praised, but then another commander asks "Who told you that you had permission to think?" and tells him go to right back out and find Tsarmina. He does so, and ends up getting killed by Tsarmina, who in a haze of crazed revenge believes him to be her traitor brother Gingivere.
123* Used in the 1960s children's adventure novel ''Literature/{{Manxmouse}}'', by Paul Gallico. A group of hounds is hunting for a fox and a young Private states "I think he's in there, under that hedge, sir." A General replies "Quiet! I'm the one here who's paid to think."
124* Tiny, the DumbMuscle German soldier from the Creator/SvenHassel novels, is always saying that he was told by his superiors not to think. "Leave it to the horses, they've got bigger heads."
125* In ''[[Literature/TheKaneChronicles The Red Pyramid]]'', the chaos god Set does this when the demon Face of Horror raises an objection after Set gets upset with him for apparently moving too slowly in gathering other demons to do his bidding.
126-->'''Face of Horror''': But master, I thought...
127-->'''Set''': Do not think, demon.
128* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Opal Deception'', Opal Koboi's treatment of the Brill brothers basically amounts to this. At one point, she even tells them not to so much as think in her direction and almost manages to convince them that she's actually able to tell when they're doing so.
129** Jon Spiro treats his flunkies, [[DumbMuscle Pecs and Chips]] in a similar fashion. When one of them makes a comment about dino dung forming into diamonds over time, he suggests paying them in dung, which shuts them up in a hurry.
130* In ''Cat in a Yellow Jumpsuit'', from the ''Literature/MidnightLouie'' mysteries about [[DetectiveAnimal crime-solving cats]], when one of the cats in the gang of Midnight Louie's mother, Ma Barker, tells her that he doesn't think she should go off on a particular assignment requested of her by Louie, she snaps that "You are eye candy. It is not your job to think."
131* 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 one of the towns 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.
132* In ''Literature/InvisibleMan'', While Brother Jack is lecturing the Narrator for organizing Tod Clifton’s funeral, he tells him that he was “not hired to think.”
133* In ''Franchise/StarWars'': ''[[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy The Last Command]]'', Fingal and Governor Staffa of Berchest have a chat after they spot Luke Skywalker poking around on the planet. Fingal asks Staffa if he thinks that Skywalker saw the special transport they were using to carry clones for the Empire and Staffa replies that of course he saw it, wondering if Fingal thought Skywalker was hanging around for his health. At this, Fingal comments "I only thought..." only to be cut off by Staffa telling him to not think, as he isn't properly equipped for it.
134* This is the downfall of [[SmugSnake Chauvelin]] in ''Literature/TheScarletPimpernel.'' In the first book, he orders his soldiers to stay still on pain of death until the Scarlet Pimpernel and the other refugees come out of the hut. [[spoiler: They're so terrified of his displeasure that they obey his orders to the letter, and don't even capture Percy when he comes out of nowhere and walks straight ''into'' the hut]]. Similar situations occur in later books, which the Pimpernel is usually [[BatmanGambit able to use against his foes]].
135* Subverted in ''Literature/RaceToTheSun'', where BigBad Mr Charles says to his bodyguard Ms Bird "I don't pay you to ''think''", followed after a moment with "I pay you to ''know''".
136* ''Literature/TheGoldenHamsterSaga'': In ''Freddy in Peril'', [[MadScientist Professor Fleischkopf]]'s dimwitted henchman Brewster asks, "Have we really broken into this joint to snitch a hamster?" Fleischkopf replies, "Once and for all, Brewster: I'm paying you to obey orders, not to ask questions."
137[[/folder]]
138
139[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
140* In the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS04E16BarAssociation Bar Association]]" on ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Quark tells Leeta "I don't pay you to think. I pay you to spin the Dabo wheel."
141* From "LGB Tease," on ''Series/TheLWord'':
142-->'''Jenny:''' ''(regarding her dog)'' What's this on his head? This is Mauve. This is not orange.\
143'''Marissa:''' Well, the groomer ran out of orange, so we thought we would...\
144'''Jenny:''' No. No, no. I don't pay you to think. ''(to the dog)'' Do I, Sounder? Do I pay her to think? ''(to Marissa)'' He hates you. So take him back to the groomers now and get orange ribbons so that he can like you again. That's it.
145* In "Smart the Assassin" from ''Series/GetSmart'', Devonshire tells someone "KAOS doesn't pay you to think, you men were sent here to obey."
146* 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. (It eventually turns out Jimmy is both the primary ''cause'' of the problem and the only one with authority to fix it... which he [[ObfuscatingInsanity may or may not]] have known from the start.)
147* Used as a reprimand not of the minion, but of the boss in ''Series/WarOfTheWorlds1988''. The Martian {{mook}}s have contacted their ruling trio for instructions.
148-->"Why can't these lower creatures think for themselves?"
149-->"OUR job is to think! THEIRS is to obey, and we must never confuse the two!"
150* Occurs on ''Series/DoctorWho'' many times. One of the earliest is in "Day of the Daleks," where the malevolent pepperpots tell the [[TheQuisling Controller]] that "the function of the human is to obey."
151** Prof. Kerensky espouses the inverse of the trope in "City of Death:"
152--->'''Kerensky:''' I do my work...[[PunchClockVillain I don't ask too many questions]].
153--->'''Doctor:''' Professor...a scientist's ''job'' [[ArmorPiercingResponse is to ask questions.]]
154** Mr. Diagoras says this to the construction workers in "Daleks in Manhattan."
155* In the ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'' episode "To Hull and Back", DirtyCop DCI Slater says this several times to his [[ServileSnarker subordinate and driver 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.
156-->'''Slater''' :Look Hoskins, Terrance, use your loaf, help me out of this and I'll make you a rich man - the money from them other diamonds is in a bank account, I'll let you have half. What do you think?
157-->'''Hoskins''' (*turns, revealing hidden microphone on his lapel): [[TheDogBitesBack You seem to forget sir, I don't think, I only do my job.]]
158* In "12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M." from the premiere season of ''Series/TwentyFour'', Kevin Carroll tries to explain to Ira Gaines about Jack Bauer having got the jump on him.
159-->'''Carroll''': I thought I could handle him. I thought--
160-->'''Gaines''': Stop thinking!
161* ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'': When a henchman in "Targets Without a Badge" reports that one of his coworkers thinks surveilling Starsky and Hutch is a poor use of their resources, his boss says, "Soldier isn't paid to think."
162* ''Series/TheBarrier'': When Fernando wants to bring his superior Enrique's attention to an alleged robbery murder with suspicious details, Enrique tells Fernando that he's not paid to investigate on his own, or even think on his own.
163* The first episode of ''Series/JonathanCreek'' has a variant with a security man at Adam Klaus' magic show deserting his post for a toilet break.
164-->Security man:. I'm sorry Mr Klaus, I had to pass urine.\
165Adam: I don't pay you to "pass urine", I pay you to stand outside that door!\
166[[/folder]]
167
168[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
169* [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]] says, "It doesn't matter what you think!"
170[[/folder]]
171
172[[folder:Video Games]]
173* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': Referenced by Lightning. "'These Cocoon people' have spent centuries under fal'Cie rule, in constant fear of a Pulse invasion. If it weren't for Serah, I'd have been out there too. Hunting l'Cie. Would have been nothing but targets to me."
174* ''VideoGame/AdvanceWarsDaysOfRuin'': Played with an odd way, as it's not an authority saying this but a person speaking of themselves. Gage's quote is actually "They don't pay me to think".
175* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'': Said word for word by General Randall. Hilariously, he says it ''to a scientist''. Then Alex Mercer says this to himself when a scientists questions how he feels about making a deadly virus 10 times more deadly. Pretty much to show how much of an emotionless jerk he is.
176-->'''Dr. Mercer''': I wasn't paid to feel.
177* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'': [[BigBad Supreme Executive Chairman Drek]] gets the gist of the phrase across when berating [[spoiler: [[TheDragon Captain Qwark]]]] for failing to dispose of the titular duo at the end of the first act.
178-->'''Drek''': Back so soon?\
179'''[[spoiler: Qwark]]''': ...Oh! You're talking to me!\
180'''Drek''': I'm not in the habit of talking to ''myself'', you buffoon! Did you get rid of them?!\
181'''[[spoiler: Qwark]]''': [[BlatantLies Yes]]! ...No. Well, I... I had this plan, and I thought-\
182'''Drek''': You 'thought'? You ''[='thought'=]''?! I do the thinking around here, you slug-brained idiot! I simply needed you to eliminate those two nuisances before they can cause any real trouble!
183* ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople'': This happens in the fifth episode, known as "8-Bit is Enough". Strong Bad calls Videlectrix to help him fix his Trogdor arcade cabinet, [[ItMakesSenseInContext which has come to life and is rampaging about and attacking people]]. Unfortunately, he is confronted with [[ForInconveniencePressOne an automated voice mail system that asks him to say options "1" through "3"]]. [[TakeAThirdOption He chooses "4"]], which throws the people at Videlectrix for a loop, resulting in this phrase being mentioned, accidentally revealing that the voice mail system was a fake to screw with Strong Bad.
184-->'''First Videlectrix Guy:''' ''(on phone)'' You chose option 4. Er... ''(softly)'' which one was option 4?\
185'''Second Videlectrix Guy:''' ''(on phone)'' You know, I didn't think we had an option four.\
186'''First Videlectrix Guy:''' [[SuddenlyShouting YOU'RE NOT PAID TO THINK! HOW'M I SUPPOSED TO RUN A FAKE VOICE MAIL AND PUT UP WITH YOUR LIP AT THE SAME TIME?!?]]
187* In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'' this basically sums up Odin and Thor's relationship; Odin treats his son like a mindless attack dog. In the climax of the game, when Thor finally stands up for himself, Odin tells him off, calling him broken and saying that he exists to serve his father. [[spoiler: Thor manages one more defiant sentence before Odin fatally stabs him through the chest.]]
188[[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Visual Novels]]
191* Double subverted with Ms. Walsh in ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework''. The teacher of the summer school class wants to teach special ed classes instead, and keeps badgering Dr. Mosely and petitioning the school board in order to make this happen. And each time, Dr. Mosely insists that Ms. Walsh use the skills she has in order to actually teach the class she’s been assigned. However, it turns out that [[spoiler:Ms. Walsh was hired to teach this class precisely for her incompetence, because a credible adult authority figure would derail the experiment on the class]].
192[[/folder]]
193
194[[folder:Web Comics]]
195* One standalone strip in ''Webcomic/{{Fluble}}'' rides this for all its worth, with Clown's boss saying no less than three variations of it:
196-->"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to ask relevant questions! I pay you to shred Arruda files!"\
197"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to point out my obvious stupidity! I pay you to make Arruda files!"\
198"Dammit Coinean, I don't pay you to shred Arruda files! I pay you to shred Arruda files!"
199* Subverted in a strip of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]] says this to Vaarsuvius, the party's wizard. V retorts by angrily saying s/he's not paid to do anything but think.
200* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''
201** [[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."
202** At one point, Tagon tries this line on Ennesby, a small floating ArtificialIntelligence 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, [[RobotsAreJustBetter I'm better at it than you are]]". Technically he doesn't get paid either.
203** Inverted in [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2012-05-23 this strip]], where commander Andreyasn reacts to a thought from Lt. Ventura:
204--->'''Cmdr Andreyasn:''' ''Excellent!'' You're one of the lucky few mercenaries here on Kaff Tagon's payroll who is, in fact, ''paid to think''.
205* ''Webcomic/MSPaintMasterpieces'': [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Dr. Wily]] believes that robots should only follow orders, and blames one of [[VideoGame/MegaManDrWilysRevenge Enker's]] failures on the fact that he '''THOUGHT''' when Wily is the one who does the thinking "around here" regardless of [[VideoGame/MegaManII Quintet]] pointing out the flaw in his logic.
206[[/folder]]
207
208[[folder:Web Original]]
209* "There's Something About Halo 2"
210-->'''Master Chief:''' Hey, I don't pay you to criticize my chief-y ways!\
211'''Cortana:''' You don't pay me at all, I'm a computer...
212* WebVideo/{{Kitboga}} is a scambaiter popular on Website/{{Twitch}} and Website/YouTube. His most successful bait is one which he wasted the time of a total of four scammers for 36 hours, but mostly the same two scammers, Adam and Alex. At one point early on when he is pretending to redeem gift cards, Adam shouts at him "Why are you using your mind?!"
213[[/folder]]
214
215[[folder:Western Animation]]
216* In "The Thin White Line" on ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Peter tells a rehab counselor "Yeah, well I don't pay you to think, hot lips, in fact, I don't pay you at all... Count it!"
217* ''WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw'' would invariably say, "Hoold on there, Baba Louie! I'll do all the thin'ing around here, and dooon't you forget it!" to his sidekick Baba Looey whenever the latter offers up a suggestion on how to approach a problem. Just as invariably, Quick Draw ignores Baba's advice to his detriment.
218* WesternAnimation/InvaderZim to his computer: "I don't pay you to contradict me!"
219** Computer: "You don't pay me at all..."
220* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' has an instance of this in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3".
221-->'''[[NoNameGiven Sweep 1]]''': "[[OnlySaneMan I think that plasma bath fried Galvatron's circuits.]]"
222-->'''Scourge''': "It's not your ''place'' to think! [[MyMasterRightOrWrong Where he leads, all Decepticons must follow]]!"
223* In the [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Speedy Gonzales]] cartoon "WesternAnimation/MexicaliShmoes," Jose the fat cat explains how to catch Speedy to his skinny cat friend Manuel.
224-->'''Jose:''' You can't catch him weeth the feets. You've got to catch him weeth...er, weeth the brains.
225-->'''Manuel:''' Brains? Where do we get thees brains?
226-->'''Jose:''' You don't need the brains. ''I'' have the brains.
227* In "A Sunny Day in the Void" on ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', after one of the droids says that he's been thinking, Colonel Gascon declares that it's his job to think, not the droid's.
228* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':
229** Cheap tightwad boss Mr. Krabs does not pay [=SpongeBob=] to play dress-up or Squidward to breathe.
230--->'''Squidward:''' You hardly pay us at all.
231** There's also the scene where Spongebob's brain is represented as an office with lots of little Spongebobs running around doing work:
232--->'''Manager Spongebob:''' C'mon! C'mon! Whaddaya think I'm paying you for?\
233'''Worker Spongebob:''' You don't pay me. [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall We don't even exist.]] [[LampshadeHanging We're just a clever visual metaphor used to personify the abstract concept of thought.]]\
234'''Manager:''' One more crack like that, and [[GeorgeJetsonJobSecurity you're outta here!]]\
235'''Worker:'''' No! Please! [[IHaveAFamily I have three kids!]]
236
237[[/folder]]
238
239[[folder:Real Life]]
240* [[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44732669/ns/business-us_business/t/things-only-bad-managers-say/ This article]] all but advises the reader to quit their job if they have a manager who would say something like this, noting "Life is way too short to spend another minute working for someone who could speak these words."
241* From Website/NotAlwaysRight: "[[https://notalwaysright.com/when-crazy-requests-reach-the-stratosphere/81841/ 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."
242* ''Forbes'' placed it at the top of a [[http://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2014/03/19/ten-things-only-lousy-managers-say/ 2014 article]] of "10 Things Only Lousy Managers Say."
243* According to Oleg Gordievsky, part of the reason NATO's 1983 Able Archer 83 exercises (simulating a gradual build-up of military readiness then-unprecedented in scale) soiled the Soviet leadership's collective pants so thoroughly was that under Operation [=RYaN=] KGB agents stationed in Western Europe were ordered only to report their observations, ''not'' their analysis. This meant that the increasingly isolated and paranoid Soviet leadership got the reports of on-the-ground evidence suggesting that NATO was about ready to launch a massive nuclear first strike[[note]]to be precise, the moves their agents were reporting fit unnervingly well with what they internally expected preparation for a NATO first-strike would look like[[/note]] on the USSR, but not the accompanying skepticism by those best in position to know (i.e., the reporting KGB agents in the West who best understood Western thinking) that NATO was actually about to start WorldWarThree. Though born of paranoia rather than pride, several nuclear-capable Warsaw Pact units and possibly Soviet [=ICBMs=] were ordered to prepare a "pre-emptive" first strike as a result. (It should be noted that Gordievsky, the highest-ranking KGB agent to ever defect to the West, is the West's main source about this episode - grains of salt should be taken according to taste.)
244* Unfortunately, some parents and teachers are known to do this to their families / students, telling them to just do as they're told (without question), which ultimately teaches nothing, and helps no one. This especially applies to the more abusive ones, but mostly happens with the ones who either don't know any better, don't understand what they're doing, are otherwise not in their right minds, or who otherwise are just that ignorant. This can especially apply to those who (still, even today) think they're always right, because they are "smarter" / have lived longer / have had more experiences / other similar explanations.
245* 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. While there is plenty of merit in being able to follow orders and work as a unit, the ability to think on one's feet can be absolutely crucial to survival in a FUBAR situation where chain of command breaks down.
246[[/folder]]

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