A lot of us have probably gotten an annoying directive from a work superior.

In this story, an employee decides to take such a directive very, very literally.

The manager who gave the directive is going to have his own words haunt him as this employee follows what he says very seriously.

Let’s have a think on it…

I’m not paid to think. Ok.

Whilst working in a job that I’d been doing for 15 years the company brought in a freshly manufactured degree-waving manager.

Any problems within the production area I was always called in to troubleshoot for them and get things moving again.

Sounds indispensable. Surely everyone at work recognizes that…

Mr. Dimwittery the new manager asked me what I was doing one day and I told him that I was just thinking how to resolve a recurring issue in production.

His response was, “We don’t pay you to think. Get back to your own job.”

Ok Mr. Dimwittery, on my way.

Nope. How’s OP gonna get back at Mr. Dim?

Cue MC.

Two hours later, I get a call from the production supervisor asking for help as line six was down again.

Sorry Steve ,call Mr. Dimwittery. He’s in charge and apparently I’m not paid to think.

I get called to the office.

Can’t wait to see what this meeting’s about.

Mr. Dimwittery is a rare shade of red with anger.

Informs me that I need to go sort out the issue in production.

“Sorry sir, I can’t do that, as I don’t get paid to think,” and leave his office.

Bam! Talk about making them eat their words. But is OP gonna get fired? Or promoted?

Smiling all the way back to my department.

Line in production is shut down for two whole shifts with people standing around scratching their heads.

PS comes to visit the next day and wants to know why the line is off. Maintenance guy tells him he can’t understand why it won’t work properly. PS asks, “Has Tom had a look for you?”

Maintenance guy says Tom won’t come over because apparently he’s not paid to think.

Bam number 2! PS isn’t gonna be happy about this.

PS says, “Who the heck said that to him?”

Maintenance guy tells him, “Mr. Dimwittery told him that when he had just helped us out the other day.”

PS calls Mr. Dimwittery to the line and tells him that I’d been with the company since he founded it and I know more about this production facility than the people who designed it.

Take that, Mister!

“And what are you doing telling long-term staff that they’re not paid to think?”

PS calls me to ask if I can help out as a favour to him. I came across and spent five minutes realigning a couple of sensors and the line was restarted.

PS takes me to lunch offers me an extra $150 a week and tells me that the only person I answer to in future is him and him only.

To this day Mr. Dimwittery still scowls whenever I see him around.

I would too, if I were him. I hope OP scowls back.

What do the comments on Reddit say about this one?

One poster says, it’s a miracle Mr. Dimwittery still has a job.

A chemist weighs in to say, know enough to listen!

Another person says recent grads, keep it in your pants.

An old-timer says, respect your elders.

Another person says, best kinda MC.

Even if you don’t get paid to think, sometimes it pays off.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.