Too Stupid to Live: A heroine's prerogative

I've often heard people complain about heroines being "Too Stupid to Live" or TStL for short.

This phenomena is when a heroine (it always seems to be the heroine) puts herself in danger and needs to be rescued by the hero. The typical damsel in distress, I guess you could say. But, the thing that makes TStL so annoying is that the heroine knows better. Most of the time it's the heroine blindly walking into danger, oblivious to the oh so obvious dangers: the blind naivety that sets reader's teeth on edge.

Or so I understand.

You see, I've never really understood why people label someone as TStL. I've always been able to justify and understand why they were desperate enough to take the steps they took. Why they felt like that was their only option. Why walking down that dark alley to meet that dark figure seemed like the only available option. 

Until now.

Recently I read a book that had me shouting at the heroine. She was so BLIND to the obvious dangers and the actions were putting her, her daughter, her sister, her lover...everyone she thought she should be protecting in life threatening peril. And it drove me bonkers.

Her need to do something, and doing the wrong thing every single time, was the major driving force of the story...which is a whole different post. But about half way through the book I realized. 

THIS is what too stupid to live looks like. I finally get it.

I wish I could have continued to live in ignorance. 

What about you? Do find a lot of heroines too TStL? Or are you more like me, able to justify and understand their actions-most of the time?

As a complete side note: Emerald City Writers' Conference sponsors the Emerald City Opener, a contest for unpublished writers. Contest closes May 31st. Go to www.gsrwa.org for more information and to enter.