History Main / TwoPlusTortureMakesFive

* Though it involves no torture, in the ''RedDwarf'' episode "Camille", Lister tries to break Kryten's programming by showing him an apple and getting him to say it's an orange.

* Possibly a reference to the ''RedDwarf'' example above, in the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode where Deputy Director Bullock (PatrickStewart, ironically enough, partial TropeNamer ''and'' big ''RedDwarf'' fan) is sleeping with Hayley, Stan tries to make her ex-boyfriend Jeff more assertive by beating him up and getting him to say various fruit are something else.

* In the children's book ''[[Literature/JimButton Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver]]'' (''Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer'') by MichaelEnde, the dragon Mrs. Grindtooth (Frau Mahlzahn) tries to use this technique on her pupil/slave Li Si. Li Si, being both very intelligent and very brave, refuses to fold.

Most often used as a torture trope, probably influenced by the famous scene from ''NineteenEightyFour'', the villain has the hero in his clutches, but the hero Simply... Won't... ''Crack''. Sometimes the villain has to do more, i.e., he has to make the hero's mind break. This means making the hero see things that aren't there or being forced to acknowledge things that are illogical or contradictory, sometimes using TheTreacheryOfImages, ColdBloodedTorture or MindRape.

Most often used as a torture trope, probably influenced by the famous scene from ''NineteenEightyFour'', the villain has the hero in his clutches, but the hero Simply... Won't... ''Crack''. Sometimes the villain has to do more, i.e., he has to make the hero's mind break. This means making the hero see things that aren't there or being forced to acknowledge things that are illogical or contradictory, sometimes using ColdBloodedTorture or MindRape.

Often occurs in a society where BigBrotherIsWatching. A good way of procuring a ManchurianAgent or otherwise {{Brainwashed}} drone; if you can break someone down so much that they end up believing this, then you can put them back together however you want. Related: TheTreacheryOfImages.

* Part of what happened to Tycho Celchu between the comics and the books of the ''XWingSeries''. He was bent pretty terribly by Isard but didn't actually break. When she overlaid Rebel and Imperial insignia and tried to transfer his loyalty to one over to the other, the contradiction sent him into a catatonic state.

* In the first episode of ''TheThickOfIt'', Malcolm tries to [[strike: bully into agreeing]] persuade journalists that minister Hugh Abbott ''did'' make an important announcement at an earlier press conference (though he did no such thing) - it's just that journalists missed it.

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* ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy'' has [[CannotTellALie Quantum Cop]] [[TeachHimAnger learning how to lie]]; "Two plus two equals... eleven. [--(...in base 3)--]"
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* Variation in ''HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', where it's implied that according to Voldemort's regime, all Muggle-borns somehow stole magic from a "real" wizard, and possibly their wand as well. While interrogating a Muggle-born witch for "stealing" magic, Umbridge demands to know whom she stole her wand from, refusing to acknowledge the obvious fact that Muggle-borns could purchase their own wands before the new regime, which is all of one month old at this point.
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* Variation in ''HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', where it's implied that according to Voldemort's regime, all Muggle-borns somehow stole magic from a "real" wizard, and possibly their wand as well. While interrogating a Muggle-born witch for "stealing" magic, Umbridge demands to know who she stole her wand from, refusing to acknowledge the obvious fact that Muggle-borns could purchase their own wands before the new regime, which is all of one month old at this point.

* Possibly a reference to the ''RedDwarf'' example above, in the ''AmericanDad'' episode where Deputy Director Bullock (PatrickStewart, ironically enough, partial TropeNamer ''and'' big ''RedDwarf'' fan) is sleeping with Hayley, Stan tries to make her ex-boyfriend Jeff more assertive by beating him up and getting him to say various fruit are something else.

* In the {{mini series}} ''{{Roots}}'', Kunta Kinte is whipped until he says that his name is Toby, the slave name given to him by his master. Can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgGLjNMEVR4 here.]]

* This is part of the treatment Petruchio gives Katharine in order to "tame" her in ''{{The Taming of the Shrew}}'', when he insists that the food is bad and the clothes are ugly and refuses to allow her to eat or keep them. He also obstinately claims that it is 7 o'clock, when it is only 2. "...it shall be what o'clock I say it is." She later gives in to his game, agreeing with Petruchio that, in spite of it being broad daylight, that the moon is shining, and shortly after agrees with him that it is not the moon after all, but in fact the sun.

* ''CaseyAndAndy'' has [[CannotTellALie Quantum Cop]] [[TeachHimAnger learning how to lie]]; "Two plus two equals... eleven. [--(...in base 3)--]"

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* One reason for the BlatantLies in the pronouncements of repressive regimes (like North Korea's recent statement that their country is one of the happiest places on Earth) is that citizens wind up repeating them (to avoid being accused of disloyalty) even though they know the statements are untrue. This makes the citizens psychologically ''complicit'' in the regime's lies, and less likely to resist. That's the theory, anyway.
* Joseph Goebbels: "The principle and which is quite true in itself and that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily." In short: "The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed."
* In Germany's case the torture was economic collapse and Hitler was the one to say 2+2=5
* The form of emotional abuse known as {{Gaslighting}}.
* Not torture, but a similar concept: a common trick in hypnosis shows is to convince the person under hypnosis that a number (say, 8) doesn't exist, leading to confusion when the person is then asked to count his or her fingers and invariably winds up at eleven, despite knowing that there should only be ten fingers.

* As shown above, George Orwell used this for ''NineteenEightyFour''. Winston Smith writes that freedom is the ability to say "two plus two is four," then later tries to make himself believe in Doublethink by changing it to five. During his torture by [[spoiler:O'Brien, O'Brien]] forces him to see [[HowManyFingers five fingers]] when there are only four.
** After Winston is released, he at one point subconsciously writes "2 + 2 = 5" on a coffee table's dust layer. Interestingly, several editions of the book list "2 + 2 = " instead, giving the impression of a HopeSpot. Alas, it's actually a typo: [[DownerEnding Winston really did write "2 + 2 = 5"]]

"There are four lights."\\

* During "You're Only Second Rate"-- Jafar's VillainSong in the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Disney/Aladdin Aladdin]] sequel-- the blackboard says "2+2=5."

* During "You're Only Second Rate"-- Jafar's VillainSong in the [[Aladdin http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Disney/Aladdin]] sequel-- the blackboard says "2+2=5."

* During "You're Only Second Rate"-- Jafar's VillainSong in the {{Aladdin}} sequel-- the blackboard says "2+2=5."

* During "You're Only Second Rate"-- Jafar's VillainSong in the [[Aladdin]] sequel-- the blackboard says "2+2=5."

->''Nazi theory indeed specifically denies that such a thing as "the truth" exists... The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the [[EvilOverlord Leader]], or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but ''the past''. If the Leader says of such and such an event, [[DisContinuity "It never happened"]] -- well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five -- well, two and two are five.''