I Don't Pay You to Think: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

A [[Stock Phrase]] that indicates that an employee wasn't hired for their brains.

To some degree, [[Truth in Television]]; 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.

 

 

 

 

 

* A single panel strip from ''[[Sticky Comics]]'' features a boss saying this line and nothing else to a corporate scientist.

 

== Films -- Animation ==

* In ''[[Rock and Rule]]'', Mok comes up with this gem when his talking-head minions actually dare to voice their doubts about his plan:

 

== Films -- Live-Action ==

* 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."

'''Q:''' You're not here to think, you're here to do what I tell you! }}

'''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. }}

* Agent Smecker gets a few of these in ''[[The Boondock Saints]]'', 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."

* ''[[Things to Come]]'' actually has this line used in a [[Rousing Speech]] 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.

* The villain of ''[[Kiss of the Dragon]]'' executes one of his own men for this reason.

'''Richard:''' [shoots him] Don't think! }}

 

== Literature ==

* In ''Prison Romance'', this occurs with a ho who is told "I don't pay you to think, I don't pay you to talk..."

* In ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', 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.

'''Cruces:''' You didn't ''think''? What are you paid for? }}

* This is the attitude of many of the vermin commanders in the ''[[Redwall]]'' series of books.

* Used in the 1960s children's adventure novel ''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."

* Tiny, the [[Dumb Muscle]] German soldier from the [[Sven Hassel]] novels, is always saying that he was told by his superiors not to think. "Leave it to the horses, they've got bigger heads."

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* From "LGB Tease," on ''[[The L Word]]'':

'''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. }}

* This is inverted on [[News Radio]] 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.

"OUR job is to think! THEIR'S is to obey, and we must never confuse the two!" }}

 

== Video Games ==

* Referenced by Lightning in ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''. "'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."

 

== Web Comics ==

 

 

== Western Animation ==

* In "The Thin White Line" on ''[[Family Guy]]'', 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!"

* [[Invader Zim]] to his computer: "I don't pay you to contradict me!"

** Computer: "You don't pay me at all..."

 

== Real Life ==

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]