History Main / NatureIsNotNice

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':

** But this wouldn't be the last time that [[NaiveAnimalLover [=SpongeBob=] misjudges or underestimates jellyfish]]. In "Nature Pants", [=SpongeBob=] decides to give up his job, home, and friends just to live free as a wild man-sponge alongside the jellyfish in their natural habitat. But he only ends up getting attacked by the jellyfish (and sea-urchins), and is forced to take shelter in a cold, dark cave where he realizes his mistakes.

* ''Film/JurassicWorldBattleAtBigRock'': The father, when his kids are frightened by the ''Allosaurus'' attacking the baby ''Nasutoceratops'', tries to assure them that predation is just a part of the natural world. While the ''Allosaurus'' is [[BlackComedy swinging the baby around]] like a ragdoll.

Related to the NaiveAnimalLover, who doesn't realize how brutal wildlife can be. Compare or ramp this a bit with DeathWorld. Contrast this with GhibliHills, though the tropes are not always incompatible, since nature can be portrayed as beautiful even though it has harsh elements. Inversely related to AllNaturalSnakeOil. A supertrope for NatureIsNotAToy. See GaiasVengeance for when nature strikes back in a more dramatic scale.

** Cassie learns this in ''The Secret'', after a mother skunk she was taking care of loses a baby to [[NobleBirdOfPrey Tobias]]. Disappointingly, [[AesopAmnesia the lesson doesn't stick.]]
** After she is nearly killed by the indigenous life in the rainforest, Rachel goes on a tirade screaming that the rainforest that so many environmentalists want to save is nothing but a den of horrors. As far she's concerned, everyone would be better off if the entire rainforest was paved over with shopping malls. However, after morphing into a jaguar and seeing how much life there is on it, she admits that it is beautiful and she doesn't want the rainforest to be paved anymore... if only because now as an apex predator she has nothing to fear from the jungle.

** The deity Obad-Hai. He is a Neutral aligned God of Nature who represents the primal, unkind aspects of nature as a neutral, impartial judge of worth - his spheres of influence are nature and woodlands, but also hunting and beasts. He has an unfriendly rivalry with a Goddess named Ehlonna, who represents the kinder aspects of nature. In universe, Obad-Hai and Ehlonna are respectively TrueNeutral and NeutralGood.
** In the same game, the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting has an equivalent of both in the deities Silvanus and Mielikki respectively, who share those moral alignments, plus Malar –the ChaoticEvil god of beasts and hunting and Eldath –NeutralGood goddess of waterfalls, quiet places, and peace that is kinder than the former.
** In ''TabletopGame/Eberron'', the Children of Winter focus on the belief that death, disease and rot are all part of the natural cycle, and work to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* The "Cruel Nature" misfortune table in ''TabletopGame/GoblinQuest'' contains various ways in which nature can interfere with the players' current task, involving ants, a badger, a hawk, a magpie, or possibly what the book describes as "a big, overly-friendly dog".
* The Thyrsus from ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' embody both nature's beauty and its brutality.
* This is the reason Green magic in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' isn't a "good" color; while there are many cards that reflect the life-giving and nurturing facet of Mother Nature, there are also many cards that reflect Mother Nature's brutality as well. "Stompy" creatures with high power and toughness, spells which [[MakeMyMonsterGrow increase the power and toughness of your creatures]], spells which target [non-natural] artifacts, spells which turn your lands into Elemental creatures with [[BondOneLiner snarky]] "why are you surprised that the ground steps on you?" flavour text, are typical examples. Green/black cards and factions take this even further, combining a ruthlessly pragmatic outlook with magic themed around predation, rot, parasitism, and all the other unpleasant parts of the natural order.
* In its seemingly endless quest to take every trope to its zenith, ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has the planet of [[DeathWorld Catachan]]. It's a [[SingleBiomePlanet planet of all jungle]], and literally every [[ManEatingPlant plant]] and [[PredatorsAreMean animal]] is out to kill or otherwise harm you. The human population of this place (if you can believe such a thing exists) are constantly on the move and live CrazyPrepared lives. It's impossible to have a permanent settlement because of EverythingTryingToKillYou.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': Athel Loren is a magical sentient forest resting within the kingdom of Bretonnia and separated from the civilized world by the Grey Mountains and a series of magical waystones placed by the native [[OurElvesAreDifferent Asrai]], Tolkienesque forest elves meets HillbillyHorrors who kidnap (and are implied to ''eat'') Bretonnian children and [[TheWildHunt hunt villagers like animals every summer when their king awakens]]. [[BigGood Alarielle the High Elf Everqueen]] is so powerful that the [[EldritchAbomination Chaos Gods]] [[HorrifyingTheHorror themselves fear her]], but ''Alarielle is terrified of the Asrai'', she notices that her counterpart Ariel is being changed into something more feral than anything the world has ever known and the rest of the Asrai are too. But the Asrai are the ''least'' scary thing about Athel Loren, in fact they just as much protect the world from the forest as they protect the forest from the world - the aforementioned magical waystones are containment barriers stopping Athel Loren from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt spreading across the world like green Chaos]]. Athel Loren is extremely hostile to anything that enters its borders that isn't an Asrai, a tree or a beast, and is also populated by xenophobic treemen; some march along with the Asrai as allies in times of war, some see the Asrai as much vermin as they do all non-tree life and plot to eliminate them (even though the elves have lived in the forest for millennia and have been nothing but honest in their dealings with them), and some are so insane they just attack... ''everything'', and get into gigantic, everlasting tree battles where they continually smash each other and regrow from the splinters. These trees aren't corrupted by Chaos, ''it's just what they're like''. Did we also mention that the forest can manipulate time!? Sometimes, people walk out of Athel Loren [[YearOutsideHourInside years, decades or even centuries after they went missing]], and immediately wither and die from onset old age. In a universe where vampires, undead and demons exist, ''nature is still one of the scariest things out there''.
* ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': The Garou are nature's warriors, and some of the tribes are brutal social Darwinists.

* ''Film/TheHollowChild'': The woods is a creepy place where children disappear then imposters return in their place, malicious {{nature spirit}}s called Hollow Ones who seek to hamr humans for having diminished their wilderness.

* ''WebOriginal/HamstersParadise'': This ends up shaping the worldview of the harmsters. They were already [[AlwaysChaoticEvil naturally sadistic and self-serving]] thanks to the [[BizarreAlienPsychology circumstances of their evolution]] but after they developed sapience, they were able to notice the inherent violence of the natural world, most notably how all organisms would kill other living things for their own benefit as either food or removal of competition (even plants, which they had come to recognize as alive). They come to the conclusion that all life exists to destroy all other life and is defined by what it kills, in addition to seeing their own bloodlust as the natural order of things. They end up destroying much of the ecosystems of the time and eventually cause their own extinction thanks to this mentality.

** The Daedric Prince Hircine also represents a darker side of nature, as he is the Prince of the Hunt, delighting in asymmetrical battles where one side must flee and outwit their opponent or be brutally slain. He intentionally created the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent disease of lycanthropy specifically to embody his domain]], as those "blessed" by his gifts will be terrible monsters at night and then become hunted by their fellow mortals during the day. He also doesn’t care on who is the hunter or hunted, so long a hunt happens.

** The Daedric Prince Hircine also represents a darker side of nature, as he is the Prince of the Hunt, delighting in asymmetrical battles where one side must flee and outwit their opponent or be brutally slain. He intentionally created the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent disease of lycanthropy specifically to embody his domain]], as those "blessed" by his gifts will be terrible monsters at night and then become hunted by their fellow mortals during the day.

* In ''Fanfic/EquestriaDivided'' this is House Everfrees hat.
* ''Fanfic/{{Everqueen}}'': Isha is Eldar goddess of nature, in ''all'' it's forms. She may be a caring mother goddess, and by far the most compassionate and empathetic deity in the setting, she also will eat raw bloody meat and has no reaction to a predator catching and devouring its prey right in front of her. She's as ruthless a warrior as she is a caring gardener.

** Another subreddit, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/ r/natureismetal]], is dedicated to showing nature in a 'badass' way. Many posts show animals during or after a hunt, often covered in blood or showing large wounds. The difference is that [=r/natureisterrible=] portrays nature's brutality and indifference in ''a negative light'', while this subreddit ''glorifies'' them, or at least acknowledges them as [[NecessarilyEvil something necessary]] for the existence of a functioning ecosystem.

Oh, what's that? You ''wanted'' to escape the boredom and corruption of human civilization in the first place, and seek to live in the untamed wild in complete, perfect harmony with nature and its denizens? Don't be surprised when you find that it's ''another'' at-times merciless, dog-eat-dog world out there, where disease runs rampant, natural disasters tear through everything in their path, parasites dig into your skin, animals devour each other without the slightest bit of hesitation or understanding of regret, and babies are little more than free meals for predators. '''This''' is how Mother Nature operates, and if you go out there treating her as [[ThisIsReality something out of a Disney movie]], she/it/what-have-you is bound to ''chew you up and spit you out'' like [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids the sheltered know-not-nearly-enough you are]].

This trope comes into play when a work's creator [[RomanticismVsEnlightenment avoids the romanticized, saccharine image]] of nature as harmonious and maternal by portraying its uglier aspects: the horror, danger, amorality, and ruthlessness of untamed nature that works tend to gloss over. It's prime material for a {{Rescue}} show where the rescue team has to find a person lost in the wilderness, or a NatureHero has that task. Any cute or pretty creature will likely be shown being devoured, or at least attacked by fierce predators, or even subvert WhatMeasureIsANonCute by being shown to be [[KillerRabbit equally ruthless and violent]] to drive the point home.

The truth is, nature isn't consciously cruel, as it can provide benefits; nor does it show a conscience that knows how to care when it provides dangers. The [[DontGoInTheWoods forest]] becomes a big scary place in which you can get lost, or poisoned by disease or something one assumed was safely edible, or mortally wounded by wild and ferocious animals. The [[ThirstyDesert desert]] has only about a good handful of ways for you to be injured or die. The jungle is [[HungryJungle even worse]]. Even a [[InevitableWaterfall lake or a river]] is a dangerous place for a person who isn't prepared.

** But this wouldn't be the last time that [[NaiveAnimalLover [=SpongeBob=] misjudges or underestimates jellyfish]]. In "Nature Pants", [=SpongeBob=] decides to give up his job, home, and friends just to live free as a wild man alongside the jellyfish in their natural habitat. But he only ends up getting attacked by the jellyfish (and sea-urchins), and is forced to take shelter in a cold, dark cave where he realizes his mistakes.

You've found yourself alone in the woods. No big deal, nature is a perfectly fine place to spend some time, wandering around. But now you can't see the edge of the forest anymore. And you realize that you can't see the sun, either, so you can't tell which direction to go in to get out. Let's add some scary strange noises. Watch yourself randomly running in some direction, looking for a way out, screaming for help, as the sun goes down and afternoon turns into dusk, which turns into a moonless night...

Oh, what's that? You ''wanted'' to escape the boredom and corruption of human civilization in the first place, and seek to live in the untamed wild in complete, perfect harmony with nature and its denizens? Don't be surprised when you find that it's a merciless, dog-eat-dog world out there, where disease runs rampant, natural disasters tear through everything in their path, parasites dig into your skin, animals devour each other without the slightest bit of hesitation or regret, and babies are little more than free meals for predators. '''This''' is how Mother Nature operates, and if you go out there treating her as [[ThisIsReality something out of a Disney movie]], she will ''chew you up and spit you out'' like [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids the sheltered weakling you are]].

This trope comes into play when a work's creator [[RomanticismVsEnlightenment avoids the romanticized, saccharine image]] of nature as harmonious and maternal by portraying its uglier aspects: the horror, danger, amorality, and ruthlessness of untamed nature that works tend to gloss over. It's prime material for a {{Rescue}} show where the rescue team has to find a person lost in the wilderness, or a NatureHero has that task. Any cute or pretty creature will likely be shown being devoured by fierce predators, or even subvert WhatMeasureIsANonCute by being shown to be [[KillerRabbit equally ruthless and violent]] to drive the point home.

The truth is, nature isn't consciously cruel; it just doesn't care about you. The [[DontGoInTheWoods forest]] is a big scary place in which you can get lost, or killed by disease or wild and ferocious animals. The [[ThirstyDesert desert]] has only about a hundred ways for you to be injured or die. The jungle is [[HungryJungle even worse]]. Even a [[InevitableWaterfall lake or a river]] is a dangerous place for a person who isn't prepared.

Related to the NaiveAnimalLover, who doesn't realize how brutal wildlife can be. Compare this with DeathWorld. Contrast this with GhibliHills, though the tropes are not always incompatible, since nature can be portrayed as beautiful even though it has harsh elements. Inversely related to AllNaturalSnakeOil. A supertrope for NatureIsNotAToy. See GaiasVengeance for when nature strikes back in a more dramatic scale.

** Another subreddit, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/ r/natureismetal]], is dedicated to showing nature in a 'badass' way. Many posts show animals during or after a hunt, often covered in blood or showing large wounds. The difference is that [=r/natureisterrible=] portrays nature's brutality and indifference in ''a negative light'', while this subreddit ''glorifies'' them, or at least acknowledges them as [[NecessaryEvil something necessary]] for the existence of a functioning ecosystem.

* Half the point of ''VideoGame/{{Shelter}}.'' You play a mother badger leading her five cubs on a journey to a new home. Starvation, rushing rapids, or predators can very easily claim them, quickly and totally unceremoniously.

** Another subreddit, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/ r/natureismetal]], is dedicated to showing nature in a 'badass' way. Many posts show animals during or after a hunt, often covered in blood or showing large wounds. The difference is that [=r/natureisterrible=] portrays nature's brutality and indifference in ''a negative light'', while this subreddit ''glorifies'' them, or at least acknowledges it as something necessary for the existence of a functioning ecosystem.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In San and his brothers' {{Backstory}}, on their original alien homeworld, they hatched from eggs that were left to fend for themselves, and they had to flee from predators which devoured [[spoiler:their newborn other siblings]]. {{Downplayed}} with the Titans of Earth, but they do have a rather Darwinist way of life that's based on AsskickingEqualsAuthority.

* ''Film/{{Mowgli}}'': The film doesn't gloss over the fact that violence and death is part of nature. Predators need to hunt to survive, and the wolves have a Spartan society where AsskickingEqualsAuthority. However, apart from Shere Khan, Tabaqui and the monkeys, all animals follow the Law of the Jungle. By contrast, the human society is more cheerful and pleasant but also more ignorant.