History Main / StoppedCaring

* ''Anime/CrossAnge'': The titular protagonist develops this attitude during the first 3 episodes. She loses everything and her trust in everyone, deciding to fight to survive, even treating people as if they are nothing. It's only reinforced by the hostile treatment of the people from her former home nation, and given how much she's been lied to and the cruelty her former people are capable of, it's no surprise.

* ''Anime/CrossAnge'': The titular protagonist develops this attitude by the fourth episode. Case in point, when Emma asks Ange how she can walk around the base nearly-naked due to ClothingDamage, Ange responds that she doesn't get embarrassed if a bug sees her naked. This is sign that she doesn't intend to treat either Mana-users or Normas as human beings. It's only reinforced by the hostile treatment the people from her former home nation, and given how much she's been lied to and the cruelty her former people are capable of, it's no surprise.

* The protagonist of Henry Lawson's "Past Carin'", a rural woman who has lived through a lifelong TraumaCongaLine of drought and disappointment, and has simply [[TooBrokenToBreak given up]]. Very much ''not'' PlayedForLaughs.

* This is the basis of [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietszche's]] "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_man last man]]", an individual who is disillusioned with life and the world, and is content with mediocrity, taking no risks, seeking only comfort and security.

* The protagonist of Creator/HenryLawson's "Past Carin'", a rural woman who has lived through a lifelong TraumaCongaLine of drought and disappointment, and has simply [[TooBrokenToBreak given up]]. Very much ''not'' PlayedForLaughs.

A character, having faced an indifferent world for so long, finally gives up all pretense of trying. They do the bare minimum to try to get the job done, and make no effort of initiative elsewhere. They knows that whatever they try isn't going to work, so it's just easier to be jaded and cynical (and right) than to be constantly disappointed by plans that never work.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'': When Sun Elf Karim approached Sol Regem, Karim revealed to him that humans had come to Xadia and asked him to become the dragon king again. Sol Regem Pointed out his blind and crippled state and admitted that he had lost hope Long ago before he lost his site and asked him to leave. Notably, in the previous season, it was stated that Sol Regem was known as the symbol of hatred and obsessively guarded the border and would not let even one human enter or leave Xadia with their lives. For now, Sol Regem is in a cave alone, and hearing about humans in Xadia, he refuses to act; it’s clear that during the time skip, he has lost the will to even act on his hatred and now does not care about the humans and wants to be left alone to in his despair.

** "In Marge We Trust" reveals that Reverend Lovejoy started out as an eager young minister willing to help his parishioners, but was worn down by Ned Flanders' ceaseless inquiries. "Finally, I just stopped caring. Luckily, by then, it was TheEighties and no one noticed."
** "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" revealed that Mrs. Krabappel was a dedicated teacher until she met Bart.
** In "Lisa's Sax", Bart was really enthusiastic about school until he met a kindergarten teacher who was openly hostile towards him. After that, Bart stopped caring about trying to be good in school.

* Winston Payne in ''Fanfic/DirtySympathy'' has a pretty good idea what's going on, but knows that with the personalities he deals with, he shouldn't even bother.
* 'Webcomic/FeralnetteAU'': [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] gives up on trying to stay friends with her classmates and maintain her cheerful persona, as she decides to focus primarily on her duties as Ladybug and the new Guardian of the Miracle Box. To this end, she trades her fashionable style for oversized hoodies and unkempt hair, stops fighting against [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lila's lies]], and no longer goes out of her way to help all her estranged friends as their "everyday Ladybug."

* The ''[[Fanfic/FeralnetteAUBigFatBreak Feralnette AU]]'' has [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] give up on trying to stay friends with her classmates and maintain her cheerful persona, as she decides to focus primarily on her duties as Ladybug and the new Guardian of the Miracle Box. To this end, she trades her fashionable style for oversized hoodies and unkempt hair, stops fighting against [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lila's lies]], and no longer goes out of her way to help all her estranged friends as their "everyday Ladybug."

* In ''Theatre/JasperInDeadland'', Jasper has absolutely no reaction when everyone in his life yells at him and treats him like a burden - he just sits still and waits for they yelling to stop.

* Considering the nature of ''FanFic/TheInfiniteLoops'', this has happened to more then a few people, who realize that with time constantly resetting, nothing they do will matter in the long run. This is known as Sakura Syndrome, named after [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Sakura Haruno]], the first person confirmed to suffer from it. This mentality is actually very dangerous, as it can cause loops to crash, possibly damaging them further.

* After trying and failing to get Bakugou to become a better person for over a decade and being nearly bullied to suicide for it, Izuku finally gave up in ''Fanfic/TheVigilanteBossAndHisFailedRetirementPlan''. Izuku realizes that Bakugou is going to refuse to change and they're both toxic influences on each other. When Izuku and Bakugou reunite at Yuuei, Izuku maintains his distance and refuses to react to Bakugou's baiting. While Izuku still cares for Bakugou on some level, Izuku stopped caring about helping him.

* ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'': During his first two onscreen parole hearings, Red assures the workers that he has definitely been rehabilitated by his time in prison. His parole is rejected both times. The third hearing following [[spoiler:Andy's escape from Shawshank]], Red has been so beaten down by his 40 years in prison that he admits to the parole hearers that he thinks that the entire concept of rehabilitation is a sham, and while he does genuinely regret the crime he committed to earn his sentence, he's now too old to care whether they release him or not.[[spoiler:Ironically, this admission convinces them to grant him parole]].

* ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'': J'onn J'onzz, a shapeshifter, gets called in to pretend to be a sick Kara when Lena comes to visit while the real Kara is off being Supergirl. He puts zero effort into it, referring to James, one of Kara's closest friends, as "Mr. Olsen," making no attempt to follow Kara's cheerful mannerisms, or really even pay attention to what Lena is saying. Lena doesn't notice anything is wrong.
-->'''J'onn:''' ''[with Kara's face, but his own voice]'' The indignity...

* ''Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance'': [[spoiler:Taako, over the course of ''The Stolen Century'', stops caring as a result of seeing The Hunger engulf or at least nearly destroy every world they land on]].

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'': [[spoiler:Ansem, Seeker of Darkness thought at some point that [[ScrewDestiny he could defy his seemingly inevitable destiny]] as [[GreaterScopeVillain Master Xenahort]]'s sacrifice. After realizing [[YouCantFightFate this was an impossibility]], he simply gave up. By the man's own admission, he found himself not caring at all about the betrayal of the remaining members of the original Organization XIII, knew he stood no chance against Sora and co, and finally "nothing else seemed to matter anymore"]].

* This is the basis of [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietszche's]] "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_man last man]]", an individual who is disillusioned with life and the world, and is content with mediocrity, taking no risks and seeking only comfort and security.

* This is the basis of [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietszche's]] "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_man last man]]", an individual who is disillusioned with life and the world, and is content with mediocrity, taking no risks and and seeking only comfort and security.