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Fighteer
MOD
(Time Abyss)
Candi
Since: Aug, 2012

I want to make sure I'm using this right because I feel this trope sees a lot of misuse. As I understand it, Good Is Not Dumb is about a character's kindhearted or good natured choices being ridiculed and condescended to by the villain, before ultimately proving to be the smart, pragmatic thing after all and saving the day. In essence, it's not about a character who is both Good and Not Dumb, but about Good itself proving to not be as dumb as others may believe. The hero's kind-heartedness pays off and wins the day.
I see it used from time to time for characters who are kind-hearted and nice and thus underestimated by foes, but who triumph over those foes by also being really powerful and violencing them into submission. Which doesn't really prove that Good Is Not Dumb, just that you can be Good and also really good at violence. As I understand, this is Trope Misuse.
Do I have this right?
Edited by TobiasDrake