History Main / HardWorkHardlyWorks

* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' has an {{exaggerated}} and {{deconstructed}} version with born [[AnIcePerson cryomancer]] Elsa. Not only do her abilities grow to phenomenal levels without any training or work, it does so while she is actively trying to suppress it. Her [[PowerIncontinence lack of control over her powers]] leads to it doing things she'd rather it not do, such as freezing the kingdom and killing people. It's not until after she starts actually trying to hone her abilities that she gains sufficient control over it to avoid such problems.
* Subverted in [[WesternAnimation/FrozenII the second movie]]. Elsa's inborn magic powers let her get past obstacles pretty easily while other characters struggle to keep up physically, but then she gets distracted [[spoiler:in Ahtohallan and goes into the most dangerous part after already getting what she needed, getting herself stuck. The more focused Anna ends up having to fix things, despite her lack of magic.]]
* This happens quite a bit with Po from the ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' movies, largely because he is the Dragon Warrior, TheChosenOne.
** In the first movie, the Furious Five and Tai Lung had to train for years, if not decades, to become as powerful and as skilled as they are. All Po requires is the proper motivation and a TrainingMontage that couldn't take more than a week or two. It helps that his particular TrainingMontage was [[WaxOnWaxOff tailored specifically to his psychology]]. He ''is'' a talented learner, and has incredible stamina and willpower as shown when the Five cream him one after the other and he ''asks for more!'' Natural immunity to Tai Lung's instant-KO special move doesn't hurt either. Additionally, both the dumpling battle with Shifu and the final battle with Tai Lung show that Po did not defeat Tai Lung simply through matching him in techniques (it would be impossible in such a time frame) but by engaging him in a battle of wits and skill, such as using the environment and unorthodox methods as well as a distracting measure (the Dragon Scroll). He was helped by Tai Lung losing his usual perceptiveness and tactical thinking due to his initial arrogance and ongoing VillainousBreakdown. By the time Tai Lung focused more on killing Po than getting the Dragon Scroll for himself, he's taken a fair amount of embarrassment and damage from Po, and is mentally crushed by the Dragon Scroll's revelation, allowing Po to put his newfound skills and immunity to nerve strikes to good use and own him.

** In the sequel Shifu [[spoiler:expresses exasperation that Po has managed to learn inner peace at such a young age when he himself didn't manage it until the end of the first movie, by which point he was already an old man. Po consoles him by remarking that he had a great teacher]]. [[spoiler: [[JustifiedTrope This makes sense when you compare personalities.]] Shifu's strict and no-nonsense attitude made it difficult for him as well as his reluctance to face his trauma. Po on the other hand, upon learning said trauma, forces himself to face it much sooner for the sake of helping his friends and getting past it. While Shifu may have known the road, he had more self-imposed mental blocks than Po.]]
** By the end of the third film, Po [[spoiler: has become a Master of Chi, even though Shifu studied for decades and only had a very limited form of chi manipulation, and is given Oogway's mystic green staff. Oogway reveals that he chose Po as the Dragon Warrior because of his descent from the ancient pandas, who could naturally use chi so well.]] This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] mercilessly at the end:

** Its also ZigZagged with Mike, as while he studies hard and still isn't able to be scary, he acquires an encyclopedic knowledge of just what it means to be scary, and all the diverse ways, which helps him improve others. Also, by the end of WesternAnimation/MonstersInc [[spoiler:the switch from screams to laughter means that Mike finds success in a similar field]].

[[folder:Manhwa and Manhua]]

* ''Manhwa/{{Veritas}}'' subverts this big time. In the Reunion program, Gangryong faces other students far more powerful than he is. Their power comes through medical ki treatments, while his is earned through good old fashion hard work. Gangryong's training also gives him the added edge of an exceptionally strong grasp of fighting basics. His opponents can throw a fireball that can destroy a building, but many of them don't know how to defend against a cross hook, maintain a perfect stance, or outmaneuver an opponent who fights dirty. As a result, Gangryong is able to win enough matches to move up through Reunion ranks.
** The one technique that signals Gangryong becoming an actual threat is [[spoiler:mastering a half step to the side]].

Their power, skill, and ability rise [[LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards geometrically]] with the effort they put into their training, if not [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands spontaneously developing]] with ''no'' training of any kind. Even BookDumb and [[BrilliantButLazy slacker]] tendencies can't stop them from proving that MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours. These abilities are simply InTheBlood due to their SuperpowerfulGenetics or because the PowersThatBe have [[TouchedByVorlons touched them]] with ultimate talent. This will endlessly frustrate TheRival, who puts himself through TrainingFromHell only to be chided about taking things "[[CavalierCompetitor too seriously]]".

An alternative, [[strike:sometimes]] usually used as a HandWave, is that the protagonist ''did'' work hard for his abilities--'''offscreen'''. The BornWinner is in fact a ''survivor'' of TheSpartanWay, a DisposableSuperheroMaker which killed [[MillionToOneChance the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine subjects]], the [[LastOfHisKind genocide of his fellow]] {{Physical God}}s, etc. He just [[ThinkNothingOfIt doesn't like to talk about it]] or [[MosesInTheBulrushes doesn't know]]. Other times the training is done offscreen to avoid segments of {{Padding}}.

Despite the unfair-seeming nature of this trope, instances do exist wherein the lower gain can be [[JustifiedTrope justified]]: such as when TheRival does put more effort into their craft than the competition, but due to their own stubbornness, they refuse to acknowledge flaws within their approach or allow themselves proper rest to recover from their grueling routines. The end result is a training program that is certainly ''harder'', but nowhere near as effective as one done "properly".

Compare/contrast MiseryBuildsCharacter (you might be able to achieve something without working for it, but it won't be as satisfying) or SweetAndSourGrapes (where you have to work hard to achieve something, but only after you've predestined your success by doing something spectacular without any work).

It results in CantCatchUp and InstantExpert, and the hard-working character becoming TheResenter who keeps saying "ICouldaBeenAContender". This is the opposite of CharlesAtlasSuperpower and WeakButSkilled. Contrast HardWorkFallacy (the misconception that ''only'' hard work matters) and TalentedButTrained (ability ''plus'' hard work). See also TechnicianVersusPerformer and IncompletelyTrained. It's often accompanied by a TrainingMontage.

* In ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'', Jeroen is the latest World Shaman, able to tap into the collected experience of hundreds of predecessors, automatically making him one of the most powerful beings on the planet, despite the fact that he's a lazy, immature drug addict whose money all comes from his rich wife. He is utterly hated by his teammate Engineer, who grew up in a poor, unexceptional family and had to work her ass off to be deemed worthy of becoming the new Engineer.
* Played with in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', where Tina and Robert Minoru, who've been presumably training in the dark arts for years, can barely use the Staff of One, but their daughter Nico manages to become proficient with it after just a few days, because the staff's power requires a creative mind, and Nico is far more creative than either of them. On the other hand, when she later encounters her ancestor, Witchbreaker, who has a much more powerful version of the staff and ''decades'' more experience, she is handily schooled.

* ''Film/PitchPerfect'': Beca initially wasn't interested in a capella and only joined when a member of her university's a capella team overheard her singing in the shower and told her she had talent. Beca clashed with team captain Aubrey, who had been a member since at least her freshman year, over choreography. In the end, the team decides to use Beca's choreography over Aubrey's during the final competition and ends up winning.

* {{Zigzagged}} in ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk 2020}}''. A character can easily learn a lot of skills by using memory implants but such skills are pretty low and cannot be risen naturally. In other words, one can effortlessly become JackOfAllTrades but excellence in a given field may be achieved only by blood, sweat, and tears.

* There's a joke in WebVideo/TheSharkasmCrew that if you don't train in Super Smash Bros. Melee, you'll get better at it.