Allowing the possibility for others to get a shot a rulership and duchies is one thing. Letting them have it for free is another. I see a lot of people who "cling" to their title in a perfectly IC way, meaning the position is not entirely gridlocked, but their character's actions aim at preserving their power, because if the character got into power in the first place, most likely he's RPed as shrewd politically.
And often, these players are just plain talented at it.
It's not a question of doing "stupid" things. It's a question of behaving like a normal, hot-blooded, power-hungry medieval noble, and taking a chance when you see one. Or at least playing the game as if you had some purpose beyond logging in once a day and sending gold home, or whatever it is they do.
The problem with too many of these players is they got their titles simply by getting old.
