History Main / TheyJustDontGetIt

* Throughout ''[[Fanfic/TheLamentSeriesChaoticNeutral Chloé's Lament]]'', Chloé proves completely unable to grasp ''why'' nothing turns out the way she anticipates. She can't see where she's gone wrong because that would require her to recognize that she's ''done'' wrong -- and in her mind, [[EntitledBitch she deserves everything she desires]]. So why, for instance, does Adrien find it so abhorrent that she'd gladly turn everyone into her [[MindControl mindless thralls]]? They should be ''happy'' to serve her! She also can't wrap her mind around the notion that Marinette's kindness ''isn't'' an act, and that she's not a SecretlySelfish BitchInSheepsClothing. No matter how much evidence piles up, she continues to insist that she ''must be'' just as self-serving as [[PsychologicalProjection Chloé herself is]].

* ''Fanfic/{{What Goes Around Comes Around|MiraculousLadybug}}'': Chloé spends the entire story threatening to have her father [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections use his powers as mayor]] to hurt anyone who defies her or gets in the way of what she wants. She continues this ''long'' after such threats have any impact. Even witnessing [[spoiler:her father being arrested for obstruction of justice]] does nothing to slow her down; her final scene has her screaming that "YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith" and threatening to have her daddy turn the [[spoiler:juvenile detention center]] into a spa, having completely failed to parse that her go-to tactic simply ''won't work'' anymore.

** Sasuke insists that Sakura is doomed to be nothing more than glorified CannonFodder because she comes from a civilian family. While she eventually earns something approaching respect from him, he only cares about her skills as a shinobi, and doesn't understand why she gets mad when he continues acting like civilians are completely worthless.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'': In one [[https://rustyandco.com/comic/critical-missives-39/ Critical Missive,]] [[MadBomber Anti-Madeline]] has lots of trouble with the concept that there is more to life [[StuffBlowingUp than blowing up stuff]].

* ''Literature/BinderOfShame'': Blobert is entirely incapable of understanding the use of drama cards in ''TabletopGame/{{Torg}}''. Al Bruno tries to explain that they're there to enable cinematic stunts that go beyond the normal dice-rolling system and uses specific scenes from movies as examples of what it would look like, but that just confuses Blobert even more since movies are movies and not roleplaying games.
* ''Literature/DreamHighSchool'' opens with a floating sign telling you you're dreaming. Your response? "The floating sign unnerves me. I'm not sure why or what it means, but I look forward to learning in class tonight!" Readers could have voted on an option to invoke this trope again immediately: "I pinch myself." You even quote the sign on Page 5 and still don't get it.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23773411 i'll come back like a boomerang]]'', Marinette exposes Lila for a ManipulativeBitch at her fashion show [[TimeSkip years after graduation]]. When her former classmates clamor for forgiveness, she calls them out for [[CassandraTruth dismissing her warnings]] and taking her for granted. Cue Adrien stepping forward and declaring that since ''he'' didn't fall for Lila's claims and knew all along, that means there's nothing to forgive with ''him'', right? Naturally, he's quite surprised to hear that she considers ''him'' to be unforgivable for precisely those same reasons -- he ''claimed'' to be on her side, but [[AccompliceByInaction stood by and let her be bullied]].

* In ''Fanfic/TheGreatAlicornHunt'', when the group has several things to celebrate, Pinkie Pie wants to throw a massive, giant party to try and cover it all. Rainbow Dash tries to explain the value of having several smaller, separate parties rather than mashing them all together, but quickly realizes Pinkie just doesn't understand the concept no matter how she tackles it.

* ''Fanfic/ToughLove'': Despite her father calling her out on her entitled and [[ItsAllAboutMe self-centered behavior]], repeatedly stressing that he's calling her bluff and kicking her out of ''his house'' after she threatened to leave, Bella refuses to believe that he's serious. After repeatedly warning her that he's only giving her an hour to pack, Charlie finds her sulking on her bed once time is up, whining about how Edward broke up with her after overhearing their argument. She's beyond shocked when this results in her being stuck with a single duffel bag that Charlie throws together for her.

* In ''[[https://justcourttee.tumblr.com/post/625661666221342720/ Career Day]]'', [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]] and his sons come to visit [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]]'s classroom. Lila had naturally [[CelebrityLie claimed to be connected]] to the family, specifically insisting that Damian was her boyfriend. After Bruce mentions in passing that Marinette invited them, Alya repeatedly tries to 'correct' him, ignoring his repeated insistence on telling the truth.

* In the ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'' video "How WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}} Should Have Ended", the Elder Troll tells Elsa that she must control her powers and fear will be her enemy. Elsa's parents ask if he's saying they should do what they did in the movie, which the Elder Trolls points out what they're suggesting has nothing to do with what he said and just flat out tells them ThePowerOfLove will save their daughter. The Elder Troll decides to just take them someplace who can actually help Elsa: [[spoiler:[[Franchise/XMen Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters]].]]

[[folder:Websites]]
* Shown in many ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' stories. For example:
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/the-cake-is-a-lie-part-3-2/75543/ A woman enters a bakery]] and asks them to create a wedding cake and bill her for it, totally ignoring the submitter's insistence that they don't sell cakes or send bills out before she leaves; naturally, none of what she asks for is accomplished. She then begins sending attorneys to the bakery, apparently oblivious to the reason why they all immediately drop her case against the bakery, and ends up going through ''four'' of them, probably wasting thousands or even millions of dollars in the process, before she gives up (or, less charitably, before she gets enough of a bad rep amongst attorneys that they won't take her case).
** To summarize [[https://notalwaysright.com/terrified-of-baggage/76479/ this story]], "Do I need bags for this vacuum?" "No you don't need bags." "Okay, but do I need bags?"
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/dog-gone-cruelty-will-make-your-dogs-gone/78530/ Another perfect case]], where a woman drops a pair of dogs off at an animal shelter -- please note, by "drops off" we mean that literally: [[KickTheDog dropped from the top of a five-foot fence just so she didn't have to pay a fee]] --, then comes back long after said dogs have been adopted by someone else looking for them, assuming the place was a boarding kennel and refusing to believe otherwise. She ends up dragging a police officer into the mess, who immediately arrests her for animal cruelty and neglect -- and the story ends with the reveal that she also had contempt of court charges added to that, for ''still'' not understanding that the place was not a kennel and even ''spitting in a judge's face'' for siding with them in the case.
** To [[https://notalwaysright.com/incheon-further-away-from-the-answer-part-4/78763/ this elderly customer]], "born and raised here in this very town" is apparently meaningless gibberish.
** "[[https://notalwaysright.com/making-a-monumental-mistake/ I don't care if the Washington Monument is closed]], I want to visit it now!"
** "[[https://notalwaysright.com/stay-barred-or-behind-bars/ I don't think you understand]] the whole '[[PersonaNonGrata you're not allowed in here]]' part."
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/at-lagerheads-part-4/ This customer]] completely fails to comprehend the bartender telling her three times they don't have any Carlsberg. Especially odd in that she does understand the other half of what he's telling her, it's just "we don't have Carlsberg" she's completely tuning out.
** [[http://notalwaysright.com/discussing-green-cards-until-youre-red-in-the-face This customer asks for a Green Card photo]], and the photo tech in charge explains that the software won't allow it. Multiple times. As the customer in question speaks very good English, and is accompanied by his wife (who speaks even ''better'' English), it's not a case of LanguageBarrier. When the customer ''finally'' gets what he's being told, he has the gall to ask:
--->"Well, why the [[SoundEffectBleep h***]] didn't you just tell me that?!"\\
"I did, love. Five separate times. Have a great day, folks!"
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/the-whole-nine-yards-of-unreason/ This person]] doesn't seem to understand the concept of a ''yard sale'', and threatens to report them to the BBB for selling used items.
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/living-in-her-own-pizza-pie-in-the-sky/ This customer]] refuses to listen to a pizzeria worker when calling in an order: no response when asked whether it's a delivery or carryout, to two requests to pause the order when the computer crashes, or to a request to be put on hold. After the worker gets the computer fixed, the caller hangs up, calls again, and asks why they were hung up on.
** [[https://notalwaysright.com/your-part-in-this-is-over/ This customer]] seems to be interpreting "we know what you're asking for, but we don't have it" as "we don't know what you're asking for", because the customer restarts his description of the part ''every time'' he gets the former answer. Eventually the manager passes the buck by telling the customer to try a big box retailer... who he knows doesn't have the part either.
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** While Dennis, Mac, and Charlie try to work out their roles, Dennis tells Charlie there's no use for WildCards and Charlie nods seemingly in agreement. Dennis points out it appeared he agreed with him but didn't understand what he just said. Charlie responds by saying yes and pointing at Mac despite not saying anything, When he points this out Charlie just says good. Mac slowly explains to him that there's no benefits to having someone who makes wild decisions for no reason and Charlie agrees. Mac and Dennis talk with each other about whether he's actually listening or not, with Mac proposing he is just not understanding any of it and Charlie agreeing that he doesn't get them despite the fact he's the one they were talking about. Dennis just gives up on it for the sake of moving on.

* The centerpoint of the Chicken Boo sketches on ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' is that the OnlySaneMan is trying, and for most of the sketch failing, to explain why Chicken Boo, who walks like a chicken, clucks likes a chicken and looks like a chicken is, in fact, a chicken.

* The ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'' series has Wappa Charlotte, a plucky TinyTyrannicalGirl who introduces herself to the crew by immediately [[LeaderWannabe declaring herself their leader]]. Given how spur-of-the-moment this declaration is and [[TheSlacker what little effort Wappa puts in]] to back it up, the other kids' responses vary from not caring in the slightest to outright attempting to refute it, but either way Wappa still believes she's the unquestionable leader of the crew. In [[VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel2 the second game]], her link event with newcomer Vanilla-- the daughter of the president, and someone who takes leadership as a concept ''very'' seriously-- results in this exchange:

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In ''Mermaidman and Barnacle Boy III'', [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick try to rehabilitate Man Ray. One trick is to teach him to return lost wallets, with Patrick dropping his wallet. Man Ray tries to return the wallet but Patrick claims it’s not his. Man Ray pulls out Patrick’s ID from the wallet and explains that since his ID is in the wallet that means it is his wallet. Patrick agrees with the logic but stills claims the wallet isn’t his.

* [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Cersei Lannister]] in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' is so [[ItsAllAboutMe incomprehensibly self-centered and arrogant]] that she's pathologically incapable of grasping the concept of an "ally" (an equal partner with whom to work together in a give-and-take relationship for a common end), [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity instead dividing the entire world into "servants" and "enemies"]]. Her house only holds the Iron Throne through the support of the powerful House Tyrell, who married their daughter Margaery to Cersei's son [[spoiler:King Tommen]], but she's convinced that they're enemies trying to undermine her and seize the throne for themselves, so she [[SkewedPriorities dedicates more of her efforts]] towards trying to undermine ''them'' than any of her ''actual'' enemies. When her uncle Kevan advises her to appoint a competent and efficient Tyrell bannerman like Mathis Rowan or Randyll Tarly as her Hand of the King, patiently explaining that this will strengthen her and ''weaken'' the Tyrells by depriving them of one of their strongest supporters and compromising his loyalty to them, she can only see it as treason, preferring instead to surround herself with [[YesMan talentless lickspittles]] who will bow and scrape to her every whim without question.