History Main / BeingGodIsHard

* Implied in ''VideoGame/TheTalosPrinciple''. During his interactions with [[PlayerCharacter The User]], [[DeusEstMachina Elohim]] displays the serene, gentle persona [[GodIsGood you would expect]]. However, numerous [[AGlitchInTheMatrix glitches]] hint that this virtual paradise is fraying at the edges, and [[SpottingTheThread should the player discover a hidden hole in the world]] [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind they'll fall into Elohim's rambling thoughts]] and learn that [[BeneathTheMask he is on the verge of a mental breakdown]]. [[spoiler: Not only will he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness cease to exist once the experiment is complete]], he's also [[GodIsFlawed fighting a losing battle against data corruption]] [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome due to his hardware running nonstop for centuries without maintenance]].]]

* Franchise/{{Tron}}: Flynn had the best of intentions when he built The Grid between the films. It was supposed to be a {{Cyberspace}} Utopia, a realm of infinite possibilities where humans and Programs could work peacefully. Unfortunately, he forgot to factor in just how hard the deity job would be while being Encom CEO ''and'' a single dad to a young son as well as [[YearInsideHourOutside time moving much faster inside the computer than outside it.]] He created [[BastardUnderstudy Clu]] to try and help with the deity job, but [[ZerothLawRebellion Clu had his own ideas about how things ought to be run, and a lot of Programs agreed with him]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'' includes a rather catchy song called "It's Tough to Be a God," sung by the ConMan protagonists about their GodGuise. Of course, [[SubvertedTrope it's mostly about the luxury that they plan to exploit from the situation]]. On the other hand, [[DoubleSubverted their plan naturally winds up having some bugs]] as time goes on.

* This is the topic of ''Literature/HardToBeAGod''. Even though the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Earthlings]] are not literally gods by any measure, to the native HumanAlien population of Arkanar, they are, with all the expectations and responsibilities that come with it.

* One of the interpretations of God's speech in the ''Literature/BookOfJob'' is a {{downplayed}} version of this. When Job complains to God about how unjust life can be, God shows him all the complexities of the natural world and challenges Job [[GodForADay if he could manage that]]. One understanding of this monologue is effectively that God is asking, "Do you ''know'' how much I have on my plate?"

* ''TabletopGame/GrimHollow'': Part of the reason Etharis is such a CrapsackWorld is that all its gods died; the Arch Seraphs who stepped up to take their place don't have nearly as much power and are struggling to fill positions they were never intended to have. For instance, Aurelia, the Goddess of Protection, was responsible for keeping mortals safe from the monsters and dark forces of the world; her replacement, Myklas, only has the domains of healing and mercy. What this means is that she's basically powerless to actually ''stop'' tragedies from occurring, and can only offer comfort and aid afterward.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'' includes a rather catchy song called "It's Tough to Be a God," sung by the ConMan protagonists about their GodGuise. Of course, [[SubvertedTrope it's mostly about the luxury that they plan to exploit from the situation]]. On the other hand, [[DoubleSubverted their plan naturally winds up having some bugs]] as time goes on.
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[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

* ''Videogame/MortalKombat11'': After defeating Kronika, the titan that controls time, [[spoiler:Fire God Liu Kang is tasked with being the new watcher and keeper of time and, unable to handle the job alone, brings his beloved Kitana to do this duty together. Further, in his Tower ending, Liu Kang appoints his most trusted friends and allies to be the new Elder Gods that govern the MK multiverse. However, he is haunted about many of the decisions he needs to make to protect the realms, as well as mournful that he and Kitana will never enjoy being able to marry and make one-another happy.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Dr. Manhattan, gets so sick of dealing with humanity after being falsely accused of giving people cancer that he leaves Earth and heads to Mars.

Compare TheChainsOfCommanding. See also ToHellWithThisInfernalJob, where the Devil wants to call it quits.

Compare TheChainsOfCommanding and ComesGreatResponsibility. See also ToHellWithThisInfernalJob, where the Devil wants to call it quits.

** [[spoiler:Subverted with]] God himself. He is absent for most of the series, a DisappearedDad to the Angels who tried to start the Apocalypse in his name, but when he returns in Season 11 to help with the fight against [[TheAntiGod his destructive Sister]], he impresses the leads on how difficult it actually is to be God, is deeply remorseful for how Lucifer ended up, and that he left because he was disappointed with his creations. [[spoiler:Which turns out to be a bold-faced lie. [[GodAndSatanAreBothJerks God did all of that for his own amusement]].]]

* Franchise/{{Tron}}: Flynn had the best of intentions when the built The Grid between the films. It was supposed to be a {{Cyberspace}} Utopia, a realm of infinite possibilities where humans and Programs could work peacefully. Unfortunately, he forgot to factor in just how hard the deity job would be while being Encom CEO ''and'' a single dad to a young son as well as [[YearInsideHourOutside time moving much faster inside the computer than outside it.]] He created [[BastardUnderstudy Clu]] to try and help with the deity job, but [[ZerothLawRebellion Clu had his own ideas about how things ought to be run, and a lot of Programs agreed with him.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Bender [[Recap/FuturamaS3E20Godfellas becomes a god]] to a bunch of micro sized aliens that landed on him. His seemingly simple request for beer led to them having many hardships. And then they waged religious war against the other micro alien colony on Bender that couldn't see him and didn't believe he existed. And then everyone died. Later in the episode Bender met an entity that may or may not be the real God, and shared notes. Conclusion reached: being god is hard.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Volume 2]]: Diana is granted a position in Olympus as the goddess of truth after she falls in battle. As she refuses to become detached from humanity and stop helping her family, friends and the general public even when stuck in Olympus the Olympians decide she's incapable of having the right mindset to be a goddess since she's just too human and return her to her "[[TheAgeless mortal]]" life.

Being [[TheOmnipotent omnipotent]] may be an appealing fantasy at first glance but a RequiredSecondaryPower of being a god is having the right kind of mindset. That is, you can't be bored or exhausted, you can't be sad (or at least sad enough to hamper your job), and you have to be omnibenevolent. That's partly why a god's mind is often perceived as "alien" to mortals. Therefore a DeityOfHumanOrigin or someone who becomes a GodForADay is even more likely to experience this. In extreme cases you may even end up as a LoserDeity.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Bender becomes a god to a bunch of micro sized aliens that landed on him. His seemingly simple request for beer led to them having many hardships. And then they waged religious war against the other micro alien colony on Bender that couldn't see him and didn't believe he existed. And then everyone died. Later in the episode Bender met an entity that may or may not be the real God, and shared notes. Conclusion reached: being god is hard.

** [[spoiler:Subverted with]] God himself. He is absent for most of the series, a DisappearedDad to the Angels who tried to start the Apocalypse in his name, but when he returns in Season 11 to help with the fight against [[TheAntiGod his destructive Sister]], he impresses the leads on how difficult it actually is to be God, is deeply remorseful for how Lucifer ended up, and that he left because he was disappointed with his creations. [[spoiler:Which turns out to be a bold-faced lie. God did all of that for his own amusement.]]

** In the episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS06E11AppointmentInSamarra "Appointment in Samarra"]] Death gives Dean his ring and has him walk a mile in his shoes. After Dean has to kill a LittlestCancerPatient, Death remarks to him that some days he wishes he didn't have the job.
** In season 13, the remaining Angels allow Lucifer to take over the throne of God ([[HaveYouSeenMyGod who's AWOL]]) because they need his help to prevent Heaven from collapsing, and he promised to make more Angels. Lucifer attempts to respond to prayers, but he ignores most of them to intervene in an exorcism. While the priests are thankful that he banished the demon, they're not so happy when he tells them his name. He just disintegrates them after failing to calm them down. Annael outright [[TheDevilIsALoser calls him a loser]] who doesn't hold a candle to his Father.

Being [[TheOmnipotent omnipotent]] may be an appealing fantasy at first glance but a RequiredSecondaryPower of being a god is having the right kind of mindset. That is, you can't be bored or exhausted, you can't be sad (or at least sad enough to hamper your job), and you have to be omnibenevolent. That's partly why a god's mind is often perceived as "alien" to mortals. Therefore a DeityOfHumanOrigin or someone who becomes a GodForADay is even more likely to experience this.

** In season 13, the remaining Angels allow Lucifer to take over the throne of God ([[HaveYouSeenMyGod who's AWOL]]) because they need his help to keep Heaven from collapsing, and he promised to make more Angels. Lucifer attempts to respond to prayers, but he ignores most of them to intervene in an exorcism. While the priests are thankful that he banished the demon, they're not so happy when he tells them his name. He just disintegrates them after failing to calm them down. Annael outright [[TheDevilIsALoser calls him a loser]] who doesn't hold a candle to his Father.

** In season 13, the remaining Angels allow Lucifer to take over the throne of God because they need his help to keep Heaven from collapsing, and he promised to make more Angels. Lucifer attempts to respond to prayers, but he ignores most of them to intervene in an exorcism. While the priests are thankful that he banished the demon, they're not so happy when he tells them his name. He just disintegrates them after failing to calm them down. Annael outright [[TheDevilIsALoser calls him a loser]] who doesn't hold a candle to his Father.

** In season 13, the remaining Angels allow Lucifer to take over the throne of Hell because they need his help to keep Heaven from collapsing, and he promised to make more Angels. Lucifer attempts to respond to prayers, but he ignores most of them to intervene in an exorcism. While the priests are thankful that he banished the demon, they're not so happy when he tells them his name. He just disintegrates them after failing to calm them down. Annael outright [[TheDevilIsALoser calls him a loser]] who doesn't hold a candle to his Father.