One-Dimensional Thinking: Difference between revisions

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This looks very dramatic on camera, but [[Fridge Logic]] kicks in a little while later and you ask "Well why didn't she enter one of the buildings instead of letting the car chase her down the freeway?" or what have you.
This looks very dramatic on camera, but [[Fridge Logic]] kicks in a little while later and you ask "Well why didn't she enter one of the buildings instead of letting the car chase her down the freeway?" or what have you.


Note that this doesn't apply when there's an actual ''reason'' that the character can't simply leap to the side: Maybe that car is cruising down a [[Blind Alley]], that [[Raiders of the Lost Ark (Film)|boulder is rolling down a tunnel with no sidepaths]], or those railroad tracks are currently crossing a bridge over a hundred-foot canyon. (These [[Stand By Me|highly specific examples]] are [[Department of Redundancy Department|highly specific]] because they're some of the few times there's ''ever'' been a good justification for outrunning the danger.)
Note that this doesn't apply when there's an actual ''reason'' that the character can't simply leap to the side: Maybe that car is cruising down a [[Blind Alley]], that [[Raiders of the Lost Ark|boulder is rolling down a tunnel with no sidepaths]], or those railroad tracks are currently crossing a bridge over a hundred-foot canyon. (These [[Stand by Me|highly specific examples]] are [[Department of Redundancy Department|highly specific]] because they're some of the few times there's ''ever'' been a good justification for outrunning the danger.)


[[Truth in Television]]: In real life, many animals (including humans) have a natural 'herding' response to danger, so having a terrified character run directly ''away'' from an approaching threat may not be tactically sound, but it does make sense psychologically. (And if the threat is a predatory animal, simply leaping to the side wouldn't help in the first place because the predator would take note.) Savvy military conquerors have exploited this fact for centuries to herd panicked civilian crowds to where they want them, although they need to keep the crowd in a state of panic so that no one has a chance to consider the tactical advantages of veering off to the side.
[[Truth in Television]]: In real life, many animals (including humans) have a natural 'herding' response to danger, so having a terrified character run directly ''away'' from an approaching threat may not be tactically sound, but it does make sense psychologically. (And if the threat is a predatory animal, simply leaping to the side wouldn't help in the first place because the predator would take note.) Savvy military conquerors have exploited this fact for centuries to herd panicked civilian crowds to where they want them, although they need to keep the crowd in a state of panic so that no one has a chance to consider the tactical advantages of veering off to the side.
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* In the ''[[Gantz]]'' manga and anime, after being caught on the train tracks, Kurono and Katou decide to try and outrun the train to get beyond where the front car will stop. Even if {{spoiler|the train hadn't turned out to be a non-stop express,}} it's unlikely they would have been able to run far enough in time, and the fact that they break off an attempt to climb onto the platform in favor of running seems pretty counter intuitive. They probably would have made it up with help from the bystanders. Then again, the theme of this scene seems to be [[Humans Are Bastards|general apathy and the onlookers' interest in seeing someone die.]]
* In the ''[[Gantz]]'' manga and anime, after being caught on the train tracks, Kurono and Katou decide to try and outrun the train to get beyond where the front car will stop. Even if {{spoiler|the train hadn't turned out to be a non-stop express,}} it's unlikely they would have been able to run far enough in time, and the fact that they break off an attempt to climb onto the platform in favor of running seems pretty counter intuitive. They probably would have made it up with help from the bystanders. Then again, the theme of this scene seems to be [[Humans Are Bastards|general apathy and the onlookers' interest in seeing someone die.]]
** Which totally fails to explain why one of them couldn't lift the other out, then get pulled up himself. Basically this was a case of [[Plot Induced Stupidity]], because the story couldn't happen without them dead.
** Which totally fails to explain why one of them couldn't lift the other out, then get pulled up himself. Basically this was a case of [[Plot Induced Stupidity]], because the story couldn't happen without them dead.
* In the second ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura (Manga)|Cardcaptor Sakura]]'' movie, Sakura is on a roller coaster track with the coaster coming right at her. She first tries running straight along the track rather than taking one step sideways onto the emergency walkway. Then, when it's about to hit her, she ''stops time'', then [[Too Dumb to Live|stays right where she is, rather than getting out of the way before the spell wears off]].
* In the second ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'' movie, Sakura is on a roller coaster track with the coaster coming right at her. She first tries running straight along the track rather than taking one step sideways onto the emergency walkway. Then, when it's about to hit her, she ''stops time'', then [[Too Dumb to Live|stays right where she is, rather than getting out of the way before the spell wears off]].
* In episode 17 of ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'', the chosen first dodge the [[World Gone Mad|cruise liner in the middle of the desert]] by, sensibly, running to the side. When it it actually start chasing them, though, the trope promptly kicks in full force. Late, in Episode 49, it shows up again as they are fleeing a balled-up Waru Monzaemon.
* In episode 17 of ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'', the chosen first dodge the [[World Gone Mad|cruise liner in the middle of the desert]] by, sensibly, running to the side. When it it actually start chasing them, though, the trope promptly kicks in full force. Late, in Episode 49, it shows up again as they are fleeing a balled-up Waru Monzaemon.
* In ''[[Tokyo Magnitude 8]]'', {{spoiler|the Tokyo Tower falls, but the characters run parallel to the direction of the falling tower rather than running off to the side.}}
* In ''[[Tokyo Magnitude 8.0]]'', {{spoiler|the Tokyo Tower falls, but the characters run parallel to the direction of the falling tower rather than running off to the side.}}
* In ''[[Angel Beats (Anime)|Angel Beats]]'', one of the traps in the hallways leading to [[Elaborate Underground Base|Guild]] is a rolling boulder. Apparently, this is massively averted, as not only the resident ninja Shiina managed to find a small nook to hide from the boulder (and pull away most of the members, Hinata tackles Otonashi to the corner of the hallway, thereby evading the boulder (remember, a boulder is spherical, the hallway is rectangular, so the edges on the bottom won't be swept by the boulder). Indeed, the only casualty is the guy who kept running.
* In ''[[Angel Beats]]'', one of the traps in the hallways leading to [[Elaborate Underground Base|Guild]] is a rolling boulder. Apparently, this is massively averted, as not only the resident ninja Shiina managed to find a small nook to hide from the boulder (and pull away most of the members, Hinata tackles Otonashi to the corner of the hallway, thereby evading the boulder (remember, a boulder is spherical, the hallway is rectangular, so the edges on the bottom won't be swept by the boulder). Indeed, the only casualty is the guy who kept running.
* Averted in episode 8 of ''[[The Third the Girl With The Blue Eye (Anime)|The Third the Girl With The Blue Eye]]''. Honoka and her tank, Bogie, find themselves on the wrong end of a stampeding herd of sand dragons. Bogie's response, rather than drive ''away'' from the dragons, is to drive off to the side and get out of their path. They aren't ''quite'' fast enough to get out without damage, but do survive nonetheless.
* Averted in episode 8 of ''[[The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye|The Third the Girl With The Blue Eye]]''. Honoka and her tank, Bogie, find themselves on the wrong end of a stampeding herd of sand dragons. Bogie's response, rather than drive ''away'' from the dragons, is to drive off to the side and get out of their path. They aren't ''quite'' fast enough to get out without damage, but do survive nonetheless.




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== Film ==
== Film ==
* In ''[[Star Wars]] [[Attack of the Clones (Film)|Episode II]]'', Count Dooku uses the Force to push over a giant pillar, directly in the path of a helpless Anakin and Obi-Wan. Yoda just uses the Force to push the pillar off to the side and set it down gently on the floor, right? Nope, he pushes directly against the pillar's momentum, brings it to a stop directly above them, and ''keeps it floating in the air for a moment''. This visibly exhausts him, and it stalls him for long enough for Dooku to escape.
* In ''[[Star Wars]] [[Attack of the Clones|Episode II]]'', Count Dooku uses the Force to push over a giant pillar, directly in the path of a helpless Anakin and Obi-Wan. Yoda just uses the Force to push the pillar off to the side and set it down gently on the floor, right? Nope, he pushes directly against the pillar's momentum, brings it to a stop directly above them, and ''keeps it floating in the air for a moment''. This visibly exhausts him, and it stalls him for long enough for Dooku to escape.
** Or he could have just pulled Anakin and Obi-Wan out from under it before it hit.
** Or he could have just pulled Anakin and Obi-Wan out from under it before it hit.
** Moving injured people can be risky if you don't know what you're doing. What Yoda decided to do was a bonehead move either way, though.
** Moving injured people can be risky if you don't know what you're doing. What Yoda decided to do was a bonehead move either way, though.
* The first ''[[Indiana Jones (Franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' film, ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark (Film)|Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'': Close investigation of the scene where Indy is being chased by the boulder will reveal it is on rails (big viney ones) and he could have run towards it, past said rails, when it first appeared, then safely followed its path out of the cave -- though he would have needed to get past it at some point, as at the end of the scene it blocks what's apparently the only way out. (This is averted in the novelization and the script, where it is explained that the ball would seal Dr. Jones in by blocking the entrance. Indy has a very good reason to outrun the boulder.)
* The first ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' film, ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'': Close investigation of the scene where Indy is being chased by the boulder will reveal it is on rails (big viney ones) and he could have run towards it, past said rails, when it first appeared, then safely followed its path out of the cave -- though he would have needed to get past it at some point, as at the end of the scene it blocks what's apparently the only way out. (This is averted in the novelization and the script, where it is explained that the ball would seal Dr. Jones in by blocking the entrance. Indy has a very good reason to outrun the boulder.)
* In the film ''[[Alien (Film)|Aliens]]'', everyone runs forward when the [[Drop Ship]] crashes, instead of moving sideways out of the path of the oncoming debris.
* In the film ''[[Alien (franchise)|Aliens]]'', everyone runs forward when the [[Drop Ship]] crashes, instead of moving sideways out of the path of the oncoming debris.
* ''[[Forrest Gump]]'': "Run, Forrest, run!" Try "Dodge, Forrest, dodge!" Though he does take off across a field and hop a fence at least once.
* ''[[Forrest Gump]]'': "Run, Forrest, run!" Try "Dodge, Forrest, dodge!" Though he does take off across a field and hop a fence at least once.
* Directly parodied at the start of Weird Al's [[UHF (Film)|UHF]]: The boulder chases the Weird Al version of Indiana Jones around various random locations until he realizes he can just run to the side... ''and the boulder turns to follow him''.
* Directly parodied at the start of Weird Al's [[UHF]]: The boulder chases the Weird Al version of Indiana Jones around various random locations until he realizes he can just run to the side... ''and the boulder turns to follow him''.
* In the bad TV movie ''[[Ten Point Five|10.5]]'', a bicyclist tries to outrace the Space Needle as it breaks from its base and comes crashing to the ground... when he could have easily biked all of six feet to either side of or behind the base, and avoided the whole problem.
* In the bad TV movie ''[[10.5]]'', a bicyclist tries to outrace the Space Needle as it breaks from its base and comes crashing to the ground... when he could have easily biked all of six feet to either side of or behind the base, and avoided the whole problem.
* Parodied in ''[[Wrongfully Accused]]'', when Harisson flees a runaway train by running into the woods--whereupon the train promptly follows him.
* Parodied in ''[[Wrongfully Accused]]'', when Harisson flees a runaway train by running into the woods--whereupon the train promptly follows him.
* Played with in ''[[Mars Attacks (Film)]]'' when a flying saucer, planning to crush a group of Boy Scouts, demolishes the base of the Washington Monument, only for them to run out of the way. The saucer then flies around to the other side of the falling obelisk to make it fall the other way. Rinse, repeat.
* Played with in ''[[Mars Attacks (Film)]]'' when a flying saucer, planning to crush a group of Boy Scouts, demolishes the base of the Washington Monument, only for them to run out of the way. The saucer then flies around to the other side of the falling obelisk to make it fall the other way. Rinse, repeat.
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*** And in the third film, Marty has to think ''four''-dimensionally. He's in the DeLorean being pushed along an incomplete train track, but he travels forward in time, to a point where the track is complete.
*** And in the third film, Marty has to think ''four''-dimensionally. He's in the DeLorean being pushed along an incomplete train track, but he travels forward in time, to a point where the track is complete.
* The remake of ''[[Nightmare On Elm Street]]'' has the human-Krueger do this for a while as angry parents pursue him through an abandoned factory complex.
* The remake of ''[[Nightmare On Elm Street]]'' has the human-Krueger do this for a while as angry parents pursue him through an abandoned factory complex.
* The [[Rule of Funny]] gives an interesting twist to this one in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'': A way too amorous toon is running full bore towards Eddie Valiant. Instead of running away or stepping to the side, he takes the white line on the road that she's running on and directs it into the wall. Naturally, a wall pizza ensues.
* The [[Rule of Funny]] gives an interesting twist to this one in ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit?]]'': A way too amorous toon is running full bore towards Eddie Valiant. Instead of running away or stepping to the side, he takes the white line on the road that she's running on and directs it into the wall. Naturally, a wall pizza ensues.
{{quote| '''Eddie''': Toons. Gets 'em every time.}}
{{quote| '''Eddie''': Toons. Gets 'em every time.}}
* ''[[Buckaroo Banzai]]''. While being pursued by a Red Lectroid driving a truck, Buckaroo runs straight ahead down the road, where he would have inevitably been run down if a Blue Blaze Irregular helicopter hadn't arrived to rescue him.
* ''[[Buckaroo Banzai]]''. While being pursued by a Red Lectroid driving a truck, Buckaroo runs straight ahead down the road, where he would have inevitably been run down if a Blue Blaze Irregular helicopter hadn't arrived to rescue him.
* Countess Lisl from ''[[For Your Eyes Only (Film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' is killed when she tries to run away from a car in a straight line.
* Countess Lisl from ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' is killed when she tries to run away from a car in a straight line.
* Parodied in [[Austin Powers|Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery]]. As the protagonists escape on a very slow Road Roller, a lone security guard screams in terror as the roller approaches and proceeds to scream "STOOOOOP!!" multiple times as it approaches, making no attempt to move to the left or right until finally being run over.
* Parodied in [[Austin Powers|Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery]]. As the protagonists escape on a very slow Road Roller, a lone security guard screams in terror as the roller approaches and proceeds to scream "STOOOOOP!!" multiple times as it approaches, making no attempt to move to the left or right until finally being run over.
* [[Played With]] in ''[[Prometheus (Film)|Prometheus]]''. {{spoiler|Shaw and Vickers}} are running away from the collapsing Space Jockey ship, which hits the ground sideways and begins rolling towards them. {{spoiler|Shaw}} falls down and realizes she can just roll sideways to get out of its path, while {{spoiler|Vickers isn't so lucky, as she continues running in a straight line and gets crushed as a result}}.
* [[Played With]] in ''[[Prometheus]]''. {{spoiler|Shaw and Vickers}} are running away from the collapsing Space Jockey ship, which hits the ground sideways and begins rolling towards them. {{spoiler|Shaw}} falls down and realizes she can just roll sideways to get out of its path, while {{spoiler|Vickers isn't so lucky, as she continues running in a straight line and gets crushed as a result}}.




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* Naturally, the narrator of ''[[Flatland]]'' visits Lineland, a world where this is literally true. The inhabitants of Lineland can't pass each other, and each being only ever sees two things: his two immediate neighbors' eyes/asses. Reproduction is pulled off by having sex partners ''sing'' to each other over long distances, which is handy, since at least one of a Linelaner's neighbors will always be a parent or sibling.
* Naturally, the narrator of ''[[Flatland]]'' visits Lineland, a world where this is literally true. The inhabitants of Lineland can't pass each other, and each being only ever sees two things: his two immediate neighbors' eyes/asses. Reproduction is pulled off by having sex partners ''sing'' to each other over long distances, which is handy, since at least one of a Linelaner's neighbors will always be a parent or sibling.
* Deconstructed/Parodied/somethinged in [[Dr. Seuss]]' "The Zax", a short tale in his book ''The Sneetches and Other Stories." A creature called a North-going Zax and another called a South-going Zax run into each other, and both refuse to go around the other since it would require them to move, very slightly, in a direction different than they're used to. Their refusal to compromise means they basically stand glaring at each other forever while a highway overpass is built over their heads.
* Deconstructed/Parodied/somethinged in [[Dr. Seuss]]' "The Zax", a short tale in his book ''The Sneetches and Other Stories." A creature called a North-going Zax and another called a South-going Zax run into each other, and both refuse to go around the other since it would require them to move, very slightly, in a direction different than they're used to. Their refusal to compromise means they basically stand glaring at each other forever while a highway overpass is built over their heads.
* Averted in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[American Gods (Literature)|American Gods]]'', where the Technical Boy is able to run down Bilquis with his limo because she was trapped on a road with a sheer, muddy climb up on one side and a sheer drop off a cliff on the other. She tried to get out of the way, but the surroundings themselves had her trapped.
* Averted in [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[American Gods]]'', where the Technical Boy is able to run down Bilquis with his limo because she was trapped on a road with a sheer, muddy climb up on one side and a sheer drop off a cliff on the other. She tried to get out of the way, but the surroundings themselves had her trapped.




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* In the pilot episode of ''[[Lost]]'', Jack, Hurley, and Claire run from the plane's falling wing. None thinks to run sideways out of its path.
* In the pilot episode of ''[[Lost]]'', Jack, Hurley, and Claire run from the plane's falling wing. None thinks to run sideways out of its path.
* Appears in an episode of ''[[Criminal Minds]]'', where a serial killer runs over people with a truck. What makes it worse is that he's a ''serial killer'', so he has done this repeatedly without anyone just running off the side of the road.
* Appears in an episode of ''[[Criminal Minds]]'', where a serial killer runs over people with a truck. What makes it worse is that he's a ''serial killer'', so he has done this repeatedly without anyone just running off the side of the road.
* In an episode of ''[[Star Trek Enterprise]]'', the crew learn that a highly radioactive [[Negative Space Wedgie]] is heading straight towards them, and it's going faster than the ship can. They proceed to evacuate the whole crew into heavily-shielded areas to survive. The idea of simply getting out of its way never occurs to anyone.
* In an episode of ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', the crew learn that a highly radioactive [[Negative Space Wedgie]] is heading straight towards them, and it's going faster than the ship can. They proceed to evacuate the whole crew into heavily-shielded areas to survive. The idea of simply getting out of its way never occurs to anyone.
** They do consider it. It's explicitly said that it is too large for them to try to get out of its way before it hits them.
** They do consider it. It's explicitly said that it is too large for them to try to get out of its way before it hits them.
* Played hilariously straight in an episode of ''[[Star Trek Voyager]]'', in which Chakotay is running from the bad guys, and he stays on a winding path instead of just cutting across the grass.
* Played hilariously straight in an episode of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', in which Chakotay is running from the bad guys, and he stays on a winding path instead of just cutting across the grass.




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== Webcomics ==
== Webcomics ==
* Parodied in this ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'' [http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1704.html strip].
* Parodied in this ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'' [http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1704.html strip].
* Webcomic example: In [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030924 this page] of ''[[Girl Genius]]'', Baron Wulfensbach seems to be having an "I'm [[Surrounded By Idiots]]..." moment as two of his [[Mad Scientist|top scientists]] demonstrate this trope.
* Webcomic example: In [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030924 this page] of ''[[Girl Genius]]'', Baron Wulfensbach seems to be having an "I'm [[Surrounded by Idiots]]..." moment as two of his [[Mad Scientist|top scientists]] demonstrate this trope.
* [[Bob and George]] [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/001126c Averted here because the author really was annoyed by this trope]
* [[Bob and George]] [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/001126c Averted here because the author really was annoyed by this trope]


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* One of the Halloween episodes in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' features Mr. Burns being crushed by a statue. He hobbles as fast as he can - straight ahead, in the direction the statue is falling, rather than a few steps to the side, which would have allowed him to avoid it entirely.
* One of the Halloween episodes in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' features Mr. Burns being crushed by a statue. He hobbles as fast as he can - straight ahead, in the direction the statue is falling, rather than a few steps to the side, which would have allowed him to avoid it entirely.
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'': An episode has Princess Morebucks getting hit by a de-powering ray because she's too <s>stupid</s> evil to simply fly out of its way.
* ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'': An episode has Princess Morebucks getting hit by a de-powering ray because she's too <s>stupid</s> evil to simply fly out of its way.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'': Rainbow Dash regularly tries to evade ground based hazards by flying along the ground. Given that her greatest flight skill is speed, and she is depicted as [[Brilliant but Lazy]], it makes sense she'll go for her strengths and try to outfly things rather than just going up.
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'': Rainbow Dash regularly tries to evade ground based hazards by flying along the ground. Given that her greatest flight skill is speed, and she is depicted as [[Brilliant but Lazy]], it makes sense she'll go for her strengths and try to outfly things rather than just going up.
* In an episode of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series (Animation)|The New Batman Adventures]]'', the police have found the batcave. Luckily, Batman has a [[Mythology Gag|giant penny on display,]] which is knocked out of its stand and rolled towards the cops. They all run directly away from it.
* In an episode of ''[[Batman: The Animated Series|The New Batman Adventures]]'', the police have found the batcave. Luckily, Batman has a [[Mythology Gag|giant penny on display,]] which is knocked out of its stand and rolled towards the cops. They all run directly away from it.




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