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Anime and Manga
"When was it that the transformation to the legendary warrior of the Saiyan race was reduced to a child's plaything?!"
— Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z, about Trunks and Goten going Super Saiyan
Vegeta: You should be impressed. Very few are willing to train as intensely as I have for this kind of power!
Android 18: How sad, to work so hard... for so little.
Vegeta: Sad for you!
Android 18: How sad, to work so hard... for so little.
Vegeta: Sad for you!
Goku: I'm amazed, Vegeta. These last seven years in Other World, I've been through the most intense training sessions, but we're still completely even. I guess this whole time you've been pushing yourself even harder than I have.
Majin Vegeta: That may be true. I've pushed myself to the edge of my limits and beyond! But you've been born with a natural talent far beyond my own. No amount of training could have closed the gap between us! I realize that now. It was made painfully obvious to me today as I watched your fight with Babidi's monster. Imagine my shock, to see the undeniable proof to discover, no matter how hard I try, I would never be able to catch you! A warrior prince forever living in the shadow of a low-level clown!
Majin Vegeta: That may be true. I've pushed myself to the edge of my limits and beyond! But you've been born with a natural talent far beyond my own. No amount of training could have closed the gap between us! I realize that now. It was made painfully obvious to me today as I watched your fight with Babidi's monster. Imagine my shock, to see the undeniable proof to discover, no matter how hard I try, I would never be able to catch you! A warrior prince forever living in the shadow of a low-level clown!
"You know, with talented people. They draw people to themselves, and without even trying to, they tear them to shreds. The closer you are to them, the more viciously you'll be torn apart. They're living in a completely different world above us. One that us normal people can't reach. In a world that we'll never see. A world above the clouds."
— Jin Mitaka Discussing the trope, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
"This fucking world is so unfair. A normal person doesn't stand a chance. You can play catch-up all your life but never even get close. We tear ourselves to shreds, but all that work's for nothing. Hard work doesn't pay off!"
— Sorata Kanda further discussing the trope, The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou
"Consider the state alchemy exam that you passed with flying colors. How many others took the test that day? Spent months, years preparing, some working much harder than you. Yet you were the only one who passed. Where was their reward? Is it their fault they lacked your natural talent?"
— Dante further more discussing the trope, Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
Comic Strips
PHB: Alice, all of your hard work - the nights and the weekends - are finally paying off. We've increased your five year forecast of demand by ten percent!
Alice: You changed a wild guess by ten percent?
PHB: Thanks to you!
— Dilbert
Fan Works
Vegeta: How? How is he this strong? How many push ups did he do!? How many sit ups!? WHAT KIND OF JUICE DID HE DRINK!?
Paragus: This is not the result of paltry training. This is DESTINY. For you see, Prince Vegeta, you're not dealing with the average Saiyan warrior anymore...
Vegeta: (flabbergasted) No...
Paragus: This is not the result of paltry training. This is DESTINY. For you see, Prince Vegeta, you're not dealing with the average Saiyan warrior anymore...
Vegeta: (flabbergasted) No...
— Vegeta and Paragus discussing Broly's power, Dragon Ball Z Abridged: Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan Abridged
"Do you want to know what your problem is? You take what you have for granted, and you think it gives you the right to talk down to me. But you've never had to work for what you have, you just get in your Eva and it goes and you are the hero."
"Of course I'm upset! How would you feel, Shinji, if you devoted your whole life to something and it didn't pay off? I've been training to be an Eva pilot for ten years. Ten years, Shinji! I should be the best! I worked at it, damn it! I worked hard for it! But instead, you, who's been piloting for less than a year, can beat me! And you're not even trying! What the hell was I doing, if I can get beaten by some jerk they grabbed off the street?!"
—Asuka, The One I Love Is...
Film
Knuckles: Surrender the compass! I've trained my entire life for this!
Sonic: And I've had no training, yet here I am, ahead of you! That's gotta be embarrassing.
— Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) (It doesn't last. The encounter ends with Sonic dangling from a cliff after some solid hits from Knuckles.)
Literature
Eithan: I could teach you the Blackflame Path, and you could cycle here, work hard, and eventually grow into a fine sacred artist.
Lindon: I am eager to learn. I know there is no shortcut for work.
Eithan: ...instead of all that, I'd like to take a shortcut.
Lindon: I am eager to learn. I know there is no shortcut for work.
Eithan: ...instead of all that, I'd like to take a shortcut.
Live Action TV
"Willow always had all the power. Even before she knew what to do with it. It came so easy for her. The rest of us, we had to work twice as hard to be half as good!"
— Amy Madison on Willow Rosenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"See, you can train, lift weights, climb that stupid bar until your heart explodes, but you'll never be as fast as I am. You will never be what I am, and that's gotta hurt your rock-hard pride, Ollie."
— Hate Plague!Barry Allen to Oliver Queen, The Flash (2014)
"If you believe that dedication and passion alone will give birth to to equivalent results, then you're living in a naive dream."
— Lin Setsu A , Thunderbolt Fantasy
Webcomics
Lord Intra gathered his retainers, who were hungry for tutelage. "Lord Intra!" said his sandal bearer, "What is the first step on the path to Royalty?"
"There are no steps," replied Intra, "It is zero-sum with your reality. It is not measured in finger-lengths."
"Lord Intra," said his bodyguard, "Is the path to Royalty the path of struggle, then?"
"No," said Intra, "One may attain it without any effort at all. It is, in fact, the antithesis of struggle."
Intra's steward was very discontent with his master's evasiveness. "Lord," he said, "Allow us lowly men some small measure of understanding. For sympathy's sake, and the sake of we good and loyal servants, please tell us in plain language the nature of Royalty."
"I will tell you precisely what Royalty is," said Intra, "It is a continuous cutting motion."
"There are no steps," replied Intra, "It is zero-sum with your reality. It is not measured in finger-lengths."
"Lord Intra," said his bodyguard, "Is the path to Royalty the path of struggle, then?"
"No," said Intra, "One may attain it without any effort at all. It is, in fact, the antithesis of struggle."
Intra's steward was very discontent with his master's evasiveness. "Lord," he said, "Allow us lowly men some small measure of understanding. For sympathy's sake, and the sake of we good and loyal servants, please tell us in plain language the nature of Royalty."
"I will tell you precisely what Royalty is," said Intra, "It is a continuous cutting motion."
— The Song of Maybe, Kill Six Billion Demons
"Hard work may pay off in the long run, but laziness always pays off right now!"
— Elan, The Order of the Stick
Web Original
"He's got the physical advantage, but she's had a decade or two more to work on the swordplay. Which probably means she should be kicking his butt, but the plot you know."
Western Animation
"You got the magic of a genie on a silver platter, but I gave my right hand for power!"
— Mozenrath to Aladdin, Aladdin: The Series
"Ye've got to work smarter, lad, not harder."
— Scrooge McDuck, DuckTales (2017)
Mike: Listen, it was quite delightful meeting you and... whatever that is. But if you don't mind, I have to study my scaring.
Sulley: Pfft! You don't need to study scaring. You just do it.
Real Life
We’ll tell you that our core value is hard work, but nobody actually means it. People know that there is no social mobility any more; hard work doesn’t help you get ahead. Working hard just means that you finish early and get given more work. Hardworking is a word we came up with to describe people at work who we like but are a bit thick. We don’t remember hardworking footballers. We celebrate the ones who were unbelievably brilliant but died at 26 when heading an effort against the crossbar dislodged a fatal dose of ketamine from the back of their nose.
