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Ummmmmm... do I get a third choice?
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"When your life has been directly threatened by your boss and there's already been one unsolved murder in your office building, always work late and alone!"
—Noah "The Spoony One" Antwiler, Let's Play Phantasmagoria 2
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The character who puts life and limb at risk by doing things that no sane human being would do. Walking down the alley alone to tell his friend about the Serial Killer. Walking through the streets of Sunnydale. Splitting the party. Being curious. Searching the hero's room in such a manner that no one could miss that you did it. Telling everybody in earshot he has vital evidence that he'll be taking to the authorities very shortly. Visiting a known dangerous area. Not telling the rest of the heroes about the upcoming trap laid out for them. Bullying a Dragon. Mugging the Damn Monster. Not only possessing Genre Blindness, but putting Zaphod Beeblebrox's Peril-Sensitive Sunglasses on over it. Even close friends have to Face Palm upon hearing of his or her exploits. (Though it never penetrates their own heads.) This trope is, surprisingly, Truth in Television, as many people can attest to.
If a character is stupid, but does not put himself at an obvious risk of harm, it is not an example of this; see instead What an Idiot!, The Ditz, or Idiot Ball. Compare Artificial Stupidity, the videogame equivalent of this which is a result of AI rather than the script being against them. Contrast Death By Pragmatism and Let's Get Dangerous. Not to be confused with Evilutionary Biologist or The Social Darwinist, although they generally consider it a Moral Event Horizon to not murder the dumb in cold blood.
Note: This trope has been subject to some misuse. If you see any examples or pot holes to this page in which the character's stupidity does not pose any threat to his physical wellbeing, please remove them or point them to one of the alternative idiocy tropes.
No Real Life Examples, Please. See the Darwin Awards and What the Fuck Is Wrong With You for those.
As a Death Trope, all Spoilers will be unmarked ahead. Beware.
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