History Main / EvilCannotComprehendGood

[[caption-width-right:331:[[{{Satan}} The Devil]] tries his hand at theology.]]

** This pops up on several occasions in the ''WebOriginal/ZhirinovskysRussianEmpire'', in which the balance between goodness and political reality is frequently highlighted:

Contrast ItsAllAboutMe, when the villain expects the hero to behave not selfishly, but generously toward him. Contrast VirtueIsWeakness, which is similar in practice but different in principle: a villain ''does'' understand noble qualities like love, friendship, and altruism... but holds them in disdain, and believes themselves "stronger" by not holding onto them. When the trope is Evil Cannot Comprehend Good, the villain can't understand why the hero saved him from falling; in ItsAllAboutMe, the villain can't understand why the hero insists on arresting him after. It can get a little fuzzy when the character decides to be generous: did he murder his son's romantic rival because he didn't realize his son would hate it — this trope — or because he was so caught up in the notion of his own generosity that he didn't care what his son thought—ItsAllAboutMe?

A SuperTrope to BewareTheHonestOnes and SubTrope of WrongAssumption. Contrast GoodIsOldFashioned, SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids, and the InvertedTrope of GoodCannotComprehendEvil. Compare BlueAndOrangeMorality. Often involves PsychologicalProjection. When someone evil ''is'' capable of understanding or admiring good, it may lead to SympathyForTheHero. If the villain thinks ''he'' is the good guy and is baffled at the heroes wanting to stop him, it's because he's ObliviouslyEvil. CuriousQualmsOfConscience could be similar to a milder form—characters who don't understand the good and the conscience within themselves.

* USefulNotes/{{Christianity}}: One parable told in homilies and other sermons recounts a man who is given a glimpse of both Heaven and Hell. He is shocked to discover that they are physically identical - an infinitely vast banquet hall, set for the most sumptuous feast imaginable, but for which all the utensils are far too long and unwieldy to ever bring food to one's own lips (and in some versions, everyone is chained to their seats and have no hands). Those in Hell go forever hungry, while those in Heaven instinctively use their utensils to feed someone else.

** The second is [[spoiler: swapping Sakura's note, which explained her [[HeroicSuicide decision to kill herself]], with one that made it seem like she did it out of despair and hatred for the group. This goads Hina into trying to get everyone killed out of anger, which ultimately fails]]. After the trial, Monokuma reveals the ''real'' [[spoiler: suicide note]], certain that this would [[spoiler: turn the other students against Aoi for basically attempting to kill them all over nothing. Instead, realizing that Sakura killed herself for their sake inspires the remaining students to rally against him and the killing game, something he didn't even consider.]]

** More blatant is [[spoiler: him asking why the group is so upset at him for murdering Clover, as well as engineering the Ninth Man's death and trying to kill Snake since they'd barely even known any of them for a few hours. Basic human empathy seems beyond him.]]
* ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All]]'': [[spoiler: Matt Engarde hires professional assassin Shelly de Killer to kill his rival, then uses a hidden camera to film the crime as insurance in case de Killer tries to blackmail him. However, de Killer places great value on the trust between himself and his clients and is outraged at this betrayal. Engarde clearly never considered that [[EvenEvilHasStandards some crooks might have higher standards than him.]]]]

*** After the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Blood Gulch Crew]] manages to stop [[spoiler: [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the Chairman's]]]] plans to [[OmnicidalManiac wipe out the innocent people of Chorus]] and expose his corruption to [[TheFederation the UNSC]], he smugly gloats that they are now surrounded by his personnel security force and are as good as dead... only for them [[ShutUpHannibal to remind him that they also just stopped his plans]] and they then prepare for their LastStand. In response, [[spoiler: the Chairman]] can only repeatedly tell them that they are about to die, as if he does not understand that they may actually be ''okay'' with [[HeroicSacrifice dying knowing that their actions saved an entire world.]]

* [[Literature/BookOfProverbs Proverbs 28:5]]: "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely."
* One parable told in homilies and other sermons recounts a man who is given a glimpse of both Heaven and Hell. He is shocked to discover that they are physically identical - an infinitely vast banquet hall, set for the most sumptuous feast imaginable, but for which all the utensils are far too long and unwieldy to ever bring food to one's own lips (and in some versions, everyone is chained to their seats and have no hands). Those in Hell go forever hungry, while those in Heaven instinctively use their utensils to feed someone else.

* The Harmsters from ''WebOriginal/HamstersParadise'' are brutal, bloodthirsty sapient hamster descendants who revel in war and bloodshed: indeed, it's ingrained in them even to their pre-sapient animal ancestors which were apex predators that ate their prey alive and thus were deeply psychologically geared to experience euphoric glee at inflicting pain and suffering. This, however, led them to be completely incapable of understanding benevolent concepts such as friendship and affection, to the point that kindness, altruism and love are considered almost like evils in their culture-- to the point that they wipe out several dawning sapients due to said sophonts and semi-sophonts displaying empathy and caring for their own kind: something the Harmsters found outright abhorrent. [[LaserGuidedKarma This ends up spelling death for their entire species]] as their lack of altruism meant they simply left their sick to die and never developed any real medical knowledge, so when a contagious cancer starts spreading through their populations after a massive world war they have no idea what actually causes it or how to prevent its transmission till it was already too late to do anything.

* ''Literature/TheAngloAmericanNaziWar'': Among the many, many twisted schemes of the Nazis produce in the Second World War, they unleash a series of horrific biological plagues upon the Allies, believing that they wouldn't bother to vaccinate [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Indian and other non-white soldiers]], and they show little concern for their auxiliary troops.

-->-- '''[[Literature/TheFourGospels John 1:5]]''', Literature/TheBible

* In [[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2009/09/10/vampires-crosses/ this]] blog post, Fred Clark theorizes that this is the reason vampires fear crosses.

** The first miscalculation [[BigBad Monokuma]] makes is [[spoiler:framing Kyoko for Mukuro Ikusaba's murder]]: the plan fails because he didn't consider the possibility that [[spoiler:someone would willingly take the fall for Kyoko and die in her place]]. Similarly, he didn't predict that [[spoiler:[[BenevolentAI Alter Ego]]]] would [[spoiler:make a HeroicSacrifice to prolong Makoto's life]].

* Proverbs 28:5: "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely."

* One parable told in homilies and other sermons recounts a man who is given a glimpse of both Heaven and Hell. He is shocked to discover that they are physically identical - an infinitely vast banquet hall, set for the most sumptuous feast imaginable, but for which all the utensils are far too long and unwieldy to ever bring food to one's own lips. Those in Hell go forever hungry, while those in Heaven instinctively use their utensils to feed someone else.

** In the timeline ''Literature/{{Reds}}'':

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':
** ''[[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheChorusTrilogy The Chorus Trilogy]]'' has two prominent examples:

** A variant occurs in [[Machinima/RedVsBlueTheShisnoTrilogy Season 15]], with it being more like "{{Revenge}} Cannot Comprehend {{Forgiveness}}: [[spoiler:[[SerialKiller Temple]], TheLeader of [[PsychoPrototype the Blues and Reds]], complains to the Blood Gulch Crew that they're not still angry with the UNSC for them having sold them all off to [[MadScientist Project Freelancer]] as nameless CannonFodder... and is completely flabbergasted when [[TVGenius Simmons]] just dismissively says that it's all "water under the bridge."]]

* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hWTYx91z7w Hero]]'', a FanDub of the battle between Shirou Emiya and Gilgamesh in ''Anime/FateStayNightUnlimitedBladeWorks'', Shirou says he wants to avenge Illya, whom Gilgamesh murdered. Gilgamesh yells, "I don't understand why you care!" Shirou replies, "Because somebody should!"

** The second is [[spoiler: swapping Sakura's note, which explained her [[HeroicSuicide decision to kill herself]], with one that made it seem like she did it out of despair and hatred for the group. This goads Hina into trying to get everyone killed out of anger, which ultimately fails]]. Monokuma's certain that this would [[spoiler: drive a further wedge between the group and prove defying him is meaningless. Instead, it's what gets everyone to rally against him and the killing game, something he didn't even consider.]]

* Inverted in [[http://www.giantitp.com/articles/XbsQgS9YYu9g3HZBAGE.html this article]] by Rich Burlew, author of ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''. The heroes in a game he was [[GameMaster DMing]] assumed that two villains who had allied together were [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder inevitably going to betray one another]] [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once they had achieved their goals]]... it never occurred to them that [[VillainousFriendship they might be good friends]].

* When Wrestling/TedDiBiaseJr 2011 underwent a HeelFaceTurn in 2011 (which was basically him being more friendly and no longer acting like a RichBitch), other people like then-heel Wrestling/MichaelCole and Wrestling/JinderMahal expressed confusion over why he would do this.

*** A communist revolution takes place in America in 1933 as a result of the Clutch Plague. Despite some [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized dirty business]], the new leadership [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified does not sink into the depravities of the Soviet Union]], and chooses not to execute political opponents like Robert Taft; even allowing them to form political parties and particpate in government. This confuses a Soviet diplomat, and ''really'' pisses off Joseph Stalin.

*** [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Vladimir Zhirinovsky]] floods the world with fake US passports, thinking that a flood of illegal immigrants would destroy America with racial strife. It doesn't occur to him that Americans aren't as racist as he is. %%FunnyAneurysmMoment?

* Minor example in one ending of ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors''. The BigBad [[spoiler:Ace/Gentaro]] tries to bribe a dying [[spoiler:Snake]] not to kill them via a murder-suicide by [[spoiler:claiming he has access to hospitals that could save the should-already-be-dead Snake]]. Indeed, [[spoiler:Gentaro]] is so [[ItsAllAboutMe self-absorbed]] and [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] that they can't imagine that [[spoiler:Snake doesn't '''want''' to live after Ace killed his beloved sister, Clover, and just cares about making sure Ace pays for it -- the idea of caring about someone so much that losing them causes your own life to be meaningless is utterly alien to him]].

* The Harmsters from ''WebOriginal/HamstersParadise'' are brutal, bloodthirsty sapient hamster descendants who revel in war and bloodshed: indeed, it's ingrained in them even to their pre-sapient animal ancestors which were apex predators that ate their prey alive and thus were deeply psychologically geared to experience euphoric glee at inflicting pain and suffering. This, however, led them to be completely incapable of understanding benevolent concepts such as friendship and affection, to the point that kindness, altruism and love are considered almost like evils in their culture-- to the point that they wipe out several dawning sapients due to said sophonts and semi-sophonts displaying empathy and caring for their own kind: something the Harmsters found outright abhorrent.

Supertrope of BewareTheHonestOnes and subtrope of WrongAssumption. Contrast GoodIsOldFashioned, SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids, and the InvertedTrope of GoodCannotComprehendEvil. Compare BlueAndOrangeMorality. Often involves PsychologicalProjection. When someone evil ''is'' capable of understanding or admiring good, it may lead to SympathyForTheHero. If the villain thinks ''he'' is the good guy and is baffled at the heroes wanting to stop him, it's because he's ObliviouslyEvil. CuriousQualmsOfConscience could be similar to a milder form—characters who don't understand the good and the conscience within themselves.

!!Example Subpages:

!!Other Examples:

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]

Contrast ItsAllAboutMe, when the villain expects the hero to behave not selfishly, but generously toward him. Contrast VirtueIsWeakness, which is similar in practice but different in principle: a villain ''does'' understand noble qualities like love, friendship and altruism... but holds them in disdain, and believes themselves "stronger" by not holding onto them. When the trope is Evil Cannot Comprehend Good, the villain can't understand why the hero saved him from falling; in ItsAllAboutMe, the villain can't understand why the hero insists on arresting him after. It can get a little fuzzy when the character decides to be generous: did he murder his son's romantic rival because he didn't realize his son would hate it — this trope — or because he was so caught up in the notion of his own generosity that he didn't care what his son thought—ItsAllAboutMe?

* Wrestling/EddieKingston's 2007 and 2008 was spent beating up and destroying most of the young technicos on the Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} roster, breaking Wrestling/ShaneStorm's nose twice, bruising everyone from Tim Donst to [[Wrestling/TheColonyWrestling Soldier Ant]]. Along comes Lince Dorado, who was beginning to become TheScrappy and is getting roundly booed by every crowd. Eddie continues the beatings on Lince, who continues to get up and keep asking for more. Kingston announces that he will never again wrestle Lince, because his tenuous grip on sanity gets confused every time Lince gets up for the people that boo him.

* In ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'', The [=SQUIP=] is an incredibly advanced quantum supercomputer that is ''very'' good at engineering and executing highly favorable plans for itself and its user, but with a total LackOfEmpathy and a strong penchant for [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]]. However, because of this, it also sees no benefit and thus no reason for anyone to behave erratically, loyally, selflessly, or anything else it considers human error. [[spoiler: It doesn't even consider the idea that, even after Jeremy shut him out and insulted him courtesy of the [=SQUIP's=] influence, [[TrueCompanions Michael would still be loyal and want to help him]].]]
* In ''Theatre/{{Heathers}}'' The Musical, Veronica breaks up with JD, horrified by his murders of their classmates. J.D. however, blames the student body for their break up [[spoiler: and resolves to blow them up during a pep rally]].

** More blatant is [[spoiler: him asking why the group is so upset at him for murdering Clover, as well as engineering the Ninth Man's death and trying to kill Snake, since they'd barely even known any of them for a few hours. Basic human empathy seems beyond him.]]

*** After the American Revolution, Henry Ford flees to Nazi Germany, and becomes an active participant in the Nazi war machine, killing countless people through forced labor. When the war turns against the Nazis, Ford begs England and France for asylum, thinking they would want his services to fight against communism. He is genuinely shocked when both reject him on basis of the war crimes he participated in, and turn him over the communist American government.

*** The UIS is able to engineer a crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia that could [[NoBloodForPhlebotinum devastate world oil supplies]], and pushes America in either [[SadisticChoice backing down and losing credibility, or going to war with Iran, and causing a worldwide energy crisis]]. The UIS is blindsided when [[spoiler: [[TakeAThirdOption Bob Kerrey writes an apology letter to the moderate Iranian president]] ]].
*** When ever someone objects to or tries to prevent a war crime, expect the perpetrator to react with confusion and[=/=]or annoyance.

* In ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', this seems to be a factor in the MistakenForBadass situation between Sparadrap and Dark Avenger. Sparadrap considers that Dark Avenger and him are FriendlyEnemies, while Sparadrap's InvincibleIncompetent tendencies have convinced Dark Avenger that he's actually an elite player displaying ObfuscatingStupidity. Dark Avenger's standard reaction to Sparadrap's friendly lines can be summed up as "quit that little trick you use to get you opponent's guard down, it doesn't work on me."

** This is played relatively straight in the Critic's review of ''Film/TheCatInTheHat''. Earlier, Peter Soulless, who bought the film rights to the Dr. Seuss stories, says that they needed to add extra morals to compensate for the longer running time. The Critic replies that ''Literature/ThePolarExpress'' and ''Film/MaryPoppins'' were able to keep their principal morals focused with the longer running time, but Peter dismisses those movies for not having pop-culture references. At the end, Soulless insists that he understands the source material because the Dr. Seuss stories are "just simple kids' books". In response, the Critic gives him a heartfelt speech that they are ''not'' "just simple kids' books", and why they deserve more respect; the original stories will go on being read and reread for years to come while the movie versions of those stories will be forgotten. Even [[AntiChrist Evilina]], whom he's babysitting, admits that she likes the original stories more. Unfortunately, however, all this only [[VillainousBreakdown riles]] Soulless, who yells at them that they are wrong and forces them to watch more clips of bad scenes in other Dr. Seuss movies, until they have no choice but to appreciate them.