History Main / TooGoodToBeTrue

A ConMan's skill often lies in convincing the mark to ignore this instinct, especially when it comes to a GetRichQuickScheme or a cheap item that FellOffTheBackOfATruck.

A ConMan's skill often lies in convincing TheMark to ignore this instinct, especially when it comes to a GetRichQuickScheme or a cheap item that FellOffTheBackOfATruck.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[https://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2008-04-23 a flood of good luck makes Slick ask for a pinch.]]

* BaitTheDog: The moment where a Jerkass seems to have [[PetTheDog sympathy]], only to be the [[KickTheDog polar opposite]]

GenreSavvy characters are often aware that in real life, perfect outcomes to practically ''anything'' are extremely rare. Whether the asking price for something at HonestJohnsDealership is just a little too low to be believable, that [[GoldDigger ravishingly lovely lady throwing herself at the protagonist]] claims to have an [[TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction extremely unlikely]] fetish for guys matching his specific description (which incidentally includes the word [[MealTicket "ugly"]]), or some present situation just plain seems to be a little too wonderful to be real, the character's instincts tell him something must be wrong. ''Somebody'' must be getting screwed here, and if he can't determine who's the patsy, that somebody is probably himself.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': After saving [[spoiler: [[IntrepidReporter Vicki Vale]]]] from Joker's thugs, [[TheJeeves Alfred]] contacts Batman with some good news in that Lucius Fox has found and identified the cure to his current affliction and gives him the coordinates to find and use it. When Batman knocks out the thugs nearby the pod-container, he uses it and it might have worked... [[spoiler: only to fall unconscious moments later. Turns out it was a trap set by the [[TheMadHatter Mad Hatter]] AKA Jervis Tetch, a man with a '''MAJOR''' penchant for both [[MindControlDevice mind-controlling hat-wear]] and the [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]] fairy tale. Batman gets out of the minature mess by literally fighting his way out of the surreal clock-falling landscape with enough hits to Mad Hatter, concluding with crushing his main mind-control hat underfoot and then delivering a knock-out punch that ensures the Mad Hatter stays down for good.]]

!![[SubTrope Sub-Tropes]]

!!Trope relations:
[[AC:[[SubTrope Sub-Tropes]]]]

''Please add Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly.''

A SuperTrope to:

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Films - Animated]]

[[folder: Films - Live-Action ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

** When Nale himself gets caught by the same LotusEaterMachine, what breaks him out is the realization that he's been [[EvilGloating monologuing]] at the heroes for hours and they haven't taken advantage of it.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* TooAwesomeToUse: It's so cool (and supplies are so [[LostForever finite]]) that to use it would be to waste it, so you may as well not have it at all.

--> '''Applejack:''' When somepony's says something too good to be true, it usually is.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': After saving [[spoiler: [[IntrepidReporter Vicki Vale]]]] from Joker's thugs, [[TheJeeves Alfred]] contacts Batman with some good news in that Lucius Fox has found and identified the cure to his current affliction and gives him the coordinates to find and use it. When Batman knocks out the thugs nearby the pod-container, he uses it and it might have worked... [[spoiler: only to fall unconscious moments later. Turns out it was a trap set by the [[TheMadHatter Mad Hatter]] AKA Jervis Tetch, a man with '''MAJOR''' penchant for both [[MindControlDevice mind-controlling hat-wear]] and the [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]] fairy tale. Batman gets out of the minature mess by literally fighting his way out of the surreal clock-falling landscape with enough hits to Mad Hatter, concluding with crushing his main mind-control hat underfoot and then delivering a knock-out punch that ensures the Mad Hatter stays down for good.]]

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': After saving [[spoiler: Vicki Vale]] from Joker's thugs, [[TheJeeves Alfred]] contacts Batman with some good news in that Lucius Fox has found and identified the cure to his current affliction and gives him the coordinates to find and use it. When Batman knocks out the thugs nearby the pod-container, he uses it and it might have worked... [[spoiler: only to fall unconscious moments later. Turns out it was a trap set by the [[TheMadHatter Mad Hatter]] AKA Jervis Tetch, a man with '''MAJOR''' penchant for both [[MindControlDevice mind-controlling hat-wear]] and the [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Alice in Wonderland]] fairy tale. Batman gets out of the minature mess by literally fighting his way out of the surreal clock-falling landscape with enough hits to Mad Hatter, concluding with crushing his main mind-control hat underfoot and then delivering a knock-out punch that ensures the Mad Hatter stays down for good.]]

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. Many DelusionConclusion theories frequently hinge on this instinct; even if a series of improbably convenient events in a work aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, the ubiquity of this trope will lead more cynical fans to speculate that the narrative intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', with common claims being that the events are secretly AllJustADream, or part of some wishful DyingDream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

* GetRichQuickScheme: The favorite [[TheTale tale]] of every ConMan.

* In the ''Western Animation / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' episode "Leap of Faith", Applejack says that line after her grandmother buys Film and Flam's tonic.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', Abis Mal is offered tons of treasures in exchange for using his third wish to set Jafar free from genie servitude. Initially, [[MoneyFetish Abis Mal is elated by all the treasure]]. But just as he's going to make the wish, Abis Mal remembers that Jafar has been a complete JackassGenie the entire time they've known each other. If Abis Mal sets Jafar free, what's stopping Jafar from making all his treasure disappear the moment he's loose? Indeed, right after Abis Mal asks this question, Jafar makes an ImpliedDeathThreat.

* RealityEnsues: Characters think real life is going to work out like a story, only to face some cold hard facts.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. Many DelusionConclusion theories frequently hinge on this instinct; even if a series of improbably favorable events (often fantastical) in a work aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, the ubiquity of this trope will lead more cynical fans to speculate that the narrative intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', with one common claim being that the events are secretly AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. Many DelusionConclusion theories frequently hinge on this instinct; even if a series of improbably favorable events in a work aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, cynical fans will speculate that the narrative intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', with one common claim being that the events are secretly AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama actually dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. Many DelusionConclusion theories frequently hinge on this instinct; even if a series of improbably favorable events in a work aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, cynical fans will argue that the narrative intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', with one common claim being that the events are secretly AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama actually dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. In fact, the ubiquity of this trope is a very common cause of DelusionConclusion theories in the world of EpilepticTrees; if a series of improbably favorable events aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, cynical fans will likely assume that the work intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', such as that said events were AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama actually dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. In fact, the ubiquity of this trope is a very common cause of DelusionConclusion theories in the world of EpilepticTrees; if a series of improbably beneficial events aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, cynical fans will likely assume that the work intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', such as that said events were AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama actually dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. In fact, the ubiquity of this trope is a very common cause of DelusionConclusion theories in the world of EpilepticTrees; if a series of improbably beneficial events aren't explicitly proven to be too good to be true, cynical fans will likely assume that the work intended this to be the case ''implicitly'', often via tropes such as AllJustADream. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.

As much as this instinct often proves to be TruthInTelevision, the RuleOfDrama actually dictates that it's even ''more'' likely to be an accurate appraisal of the situation in fictional works, since an ideal situation in which everything goes according to plan leaves no room for {{Conflict}}, and without conflict, there's no story. Considering how very often this instinct expresses itself to both the characters and the audience, let there be Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly on the main page for any given work to which this applies, please. AudienceReactions expressing this instinct can go on the FridgeLogic tab.