History Main / GreyAndGrayInsanity

Compare VillainHasAPoint and JerkassHasAPoint. Contrast RousseauWasRight (everyone truly is good), HumansAreBastards (everyone truly is bad) and GreyAndGreyMorality, GoodVersusGood, EvilVersusEvil (for settings where the world actually operates in a way that makes this kind of worldviews completely rational), and GoldenMeanFallacy (the belief that the "correct" way is always in the exact middle between two extremes). Contrast AboveGoodAndEvil (my goal is more important than good and evil).

* AllCrimesAreEqual -- when characters regard all acts of crime and flaws to be the same in severity,

-->'''Teacher:''' Your simple arguments have all been made before. The world's not black and white, the choice not "either-or"
-->'''Light:''' Perhaps it's time we drain the color from it then, till we're back to seeing black and white and wrong and right again.

* In ''Literature/TheBible'', Pontius Pilate initially tried to prevent the crucifixion of Jesus, but rather than admitting he was scared of the mob gathered outside, he made the excuse that it was just too ''hard'' to understand what was good and what was evil, so he might as well execute an innocent man. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation (Interpretations may vary.)]]
-->''"What is truth?"''

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', [[spoiler:Harry]] is big on the idea that nobody ''chooses'' to become evil, every villain thinks their reasons for doing crime are valid, blah blah blah. So when he knowingly does something bad in ''Changes'', and starts to question his morality, he reasons that the fact he's aware of that evil means it must be worse than any of the evil his enemies have done [[FreudianExcuse unknowingly (?)]], and that means that ''he'' must be worse than any of the monsters who try to blow up Chicago on a daily basis, and he promptly commits suicide. Later, an angel explains to [[spoiler:Harry]] that although he ''is'' imperfect [[HumansAreFlawed (like everyone else)]], that's a reason to ''hope'' for himself and earnestly seek after redemption, not to kill everyone who makes a mistake. Death means a person will never be able to realize their mistakes and change for the better, something [[spoiler:Harry]] didn't realize because he's seen a lot more people go from [[FaceHeelTurn grey to black]] than [[HeelFaceTurn grey to white]]. Uriel also points out that Harry's loved ones have made mistakes, but that didn't stop him from loving them, so he should love himself the same way.

* BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil -- when good and evil are both "equally" bad unless you have an equal amount of both,
* CultureJustifiesAnything -- when characters use moral subjectivity to dismiss their (and nobody else's) guilt,
* FreudianExcuse -- when villains claim their past means they have no autonomy,

* WhatIsEvil -- when characters don't understand the concept of good and evil and

-->'''[[Film/TheDarkKnight Batman:]]''' What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone's as ugly as you?! You're alone!

-->"What is truth?"
* In ''LightNovel/CookingWithWildGame'', the Suun clan try to derail their own trial by bringing up everyone else's misdemeanours. This is not accusing the judges of corruption- none of the misdemeanours mentioned have any bearing on the trial's integrity. This is the criminals saying that they refuse to accept a ruling from ''anyone'' even slightly flawed; in short, any human alive. The judges are not impressed, and the trial continues.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft'', the faction war amounts to this when it comes to the neutral parties. Though both sides are ostensibly said to be grey, the Horde has a far longer list of crimes than the Alliance, and is far less willing to work toward peace. So even if the Horde is attacking a neutral party, the Alliance's attempt to stop the Horde is treating as being just as bad.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

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Related tropes include

-->-- '''WebOriginal/{{dril}}'''

A direct [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of BlackAndWhiteInsanity. See also NotSoSimilar.

Compare VillainHasAPoint and JerkassHasAPoint. Contrast RousseauWasRight (everyone truly is good), HumansAreBastards (everyone truly is bad) and GreyAndGreyMorality, GoodVersusGood, EvilVersusEvil (for settings where the world actually operates in a way that makes these kind of world-views completely rational), and GoldenMeanFallacy (the belief that the "correct" way is always between two extremes). Contrast AboveGoodAndEvil (my goal is more important than good and evil).