->''The perversity of the universe always tends toward a maximum.''

Sometimes called "Finagle's Law of Dynamic Negatives:" anything that can go wrong, ''will'' go wrong. Amongst the general populace, this is usually called "Murphy's Law", but Murphy's Law is actually something different. Specifically, it's that "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it", which in layman's terms means that if someone plugs in a toaster [[ReversePolarity backwards]] and it fries itself, the problem isn't just that some idiot plugged it in backward, but that it was able to be plugged in backwards in the first place. That's the reason for the size and position of the third prong relative to the other two: with the massive amount of plugs in use out there, odds are ''someone's'' going to try and mess it up. In fact, Finagle's Law was pretty much coined in order to have a correct name for the law.

In fact, it's even more powerful than "anything that can go wrong ''will''" - the Law's phrasing (likely deliberately) actually ''allows'' for things going well, as the universe is merely lulling you into a false sense of security. Said phrasing also allows other sorts of perversity, notably things happening exactly as intended [[GoneHorriblyRight with disastrous results]]. Finagle's Law is therefore believed to apply even to [[RealLife Real Life]] by some.

At some level, underwrites a huge percentage of TV plots, especially in comedy. The odds of something happening as the plot unfolds depends not on its actual likelihood, but on its potential for disaster.

One is generally left with the impression that the universe is controlled by [[GodIsEvil a malevolent (or at least mischievous) deity]] -- some might say author -- who is obsessed with making your life as difficult and humiliating as possible.

Finagle's Law in storyland owes its existence more or less entirely to the RuleOfDrama.

Compare with [[RuleOfCool the Rule of Cool]] in terms of how events may ignore the laws of physics, biology, good manners and others to a proportionate degree that the events in question serve the plot or otherwise catch the attention of the reader/viewer.

In the UK, it's known as "Sod's Law".

Expressions of Finagle's Law include:
* ASimplePlan
* ButterflyOfDoom
* CosmicPlaything
* DisasterDominoes
* DestructiveSaviour
* EverythingTryingToKillYou in videogames
* FailsafeFailure
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption
* TheFunInFuneral
* GaveUpTooSoon
* LawOfDisproportionateResponse
* InverseLawOfUtilityAndLethality
* MisaimedFandom
* MistimedRevival
* MurphysBullet
* MyCarHatesMe
* NotMyDriver
* NotQuiteTheRightThing
* NotSoFastBucko
* NothingCanStopUsNow
* OutWithABang
* PhlebotinumBreakdown
* PointyHairedBoss
* {{Retirony}}
* SpringtimeForHitler
* TemptingFate
* ThreeIsCompany
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee
* UselessSuperpowers
* YouCantWin

The term was popularized by SF writer LarryNiven. More on Finagle's Law can be found in the [[http://catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/F/Finagles-Law.html Hacker's Jargon File]].

The term was also played to both seriousness and hilarity in Christopher Stasheff's "The Warlock Unlocked" and "St. Vidicon to the Rescue" which essentially spotlight an ''entire order'' of Catholic monk-engineers dedicated to the philosophy of Murphy's and Finagle's Laws, with the Imp of the Perverse thrown in for good measure.

See also HanlonsRazor. No relation to [[MST3K Finagle's Quarry]].
----
<<|MetaConcepts|>>
<<|LawsAndFormulas|>>
<<|ComedyTropes|>>
<<|ProbabilityTropes|>>
<<|IndexOverdosed|>>