Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In the short story "Grotto of the Dancing Deer", the main character befriends a 20,000 year old man who says he has survived by always staying on the fringes and never volunteering for anything.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision, although [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese the often used, most famous example]] seems to have been mostly a misrepresentation by the media. Nevertheless, it happens, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
to:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision, although [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese the often used, most famous example]] seems to have been mostly a misrepresentation by the media. Nevertheless, it happens, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", directly" or, if you're someone trying to help the person in trouble, specify who you're asking to help you help him/her, as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* In ''CodeGeass'': "My mother is dead!" "Old news, what of it?" [[spoiler:This dialogue took place between a boy and his father. Just days after it happened.]]
to:
* In ''CodeGeass'': ''Anime/CodeGeass'': "My mother is dead!" "Old news, what of it?" [[spoiler:This dialogue took place between a boy and his father. Just days after it happened.]]
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
to:
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* RurouniKenshin: Kenshin's master Seijuro Hiko taught Kenshin everything he knows about swordsmanship and [[StorybreakerPower is strong enough]] [[AllPowerfulBystander to curbstomp every other fighter in the manga]]. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the antagonists) he's just too apathetic and antisocial to be bothered to get involved. He does [[HeroicNeutral give Kenshin a break once]], though.
to:
* RurouniKenshin: ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'': Kenshin's master Seijuro Hiko taught Kenshin everything he knows about swordsmanship and [[StorybreakerPower is strong enough]] [[AllPowerfulBystander to curbstomp every other fighter in the manga]]. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the antagonists) he's just too apathetic and antisocial to be bothered to get involved. He does [[HeroicNeutral give Kenshin a break once]], though.
Added DiffLines:
* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' and ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'', many people are like this. In episode 5 of ''Railgun'', Uiharu begs for help as a bank robber mercilessly beats up Kuroko, but the people just walk past her. Fortunately, Mikoto answers her plea. Silvia does not care about any matter that doesn't directly concern her, and gets irritated whenever Ollerus helps people and drags her into it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
** Then again, he was just wondering if that planet would be really better off without them. (He'd never been there before)
to:
** Then again, he was just wondering if that planet would be really better off without them. (He'd never been there before)before).
** He was also in a major HeroicBSOD during the episode. He also points out that a full on fight between three Kryptonians would pretty much destroy the planet anyway.
** He was also in a major HeroicBSOD during the episode. He also points out that a full on fight between three Kryptonians would pretty much destroy the planet anyway.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals who choose to avert, subvert, and just outright defy this trope.
to:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals who choose to avert, subvert, and just outright defy this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals who choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
to:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals who choose to avert, subvert, and even invert just outright defy this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
to:
* The whole premise of the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals who choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
* The whole premise of the the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
to:
* The whole premise of the the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* The whole premise of the the ABC's Series/WhatWouldYouDo is take a current hot-button issue, have actors play it out in public, and see if anyone steps in to help. Some topics covered in the show for example include racial or religious discrimination and seeing whether or not any bystanders step in and help speak out against such injustice. A few bystanders play this trope straight. It becomes both a HeartwarmingMoments and MomentOfAwesome for those individuals choose to avert, subvert, and even invert this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Princess Celestia]] is essentially an immortal PhysicalGod, yet has stood back and done nothing no less than ''three'' times when ponies were in danger, instead letting Twilight and/or her friends deal with it. Finally in the Season 2 finale when she actually does get off her royal butt to do something, she gets completely [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] by [[EmotionEater Queen Chrysalis]] in about ''six seconds''. [[FakeUltimateHero It's enough to make you wonder if she isn't nearly as powerful as her subjects seem to think she is...]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added Spiderman 2
Deleted line(s) 61 (click to see context) :
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in [[SpiderManTrilogy Spiderman 2]], just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added Spiderman 2
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in [[ Spider-ManTrilogy Spiderman 2]], just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
to:
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in [[ Spider-ManTrilogy [[SpiderManTrilogy Spiderman 2]], just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added Spiderman 2
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in Spiderman2, just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
to:
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in Spiderman2, [[ Spider-ManTrilogy Spiderman 2]], just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added Spiderman 2
Added DiffLines:
* Peter does this during his brief powerless phase in Spiderman2, just standing there and watching someone getting mugged
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Does somebody need a million dollars to pay off a loan shark? Is he bleeding to death on the street? Will a nuclear war start if he doesn't get the launch codes? [[TortureCellar Has he found out that young girls are vanishing into a house where the windows are coated with human blood]]? Whatever it is, he begs people for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as they're concerned, it's somebody else's problem. They're ApatheticCitizens and have more important things to worry about, like their [[SeinfeldianConversation back pains]].
to:
Somebody is begging for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
[[caption-width-right:299:Right. Because getting that picture is a lot more important than helping the guy out.]]
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was basically "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
to:
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was basically "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
Changed line(s) 48 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', just about any public act of violence seems to be accompanied by this trope.
to:
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', just about any public act of violence seems to be accompanied by this trope.
Changed line(s) 87 (click to see context) from:
* This is pretty much how most citizens of Sunnydale react to the rampant supernatural activity in their town on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
to:
* This is pretty much how most citizens of Sunnydale react to the rampant supernatural activity in their town on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
Changed line(s) 150 (click to see context) from:
* There's an Wiki/{{SCP|Foundation}} that lets people literally get away with murder by doing this. The knife is even implied to be the murder weapon that killed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]].
to:
* There's an Wiki/{{SCP|Foundation}} that lets people literally get away with murder by doing this. The knife is even implied to be the murder weapon that killed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision, although [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese the often used, most famous example]] seems to have been mostly a misrepresentation by the media. Nevertheless, it happens, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
to:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision, although [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese the often used, most famous example]] seems to have been mostly a misrepresentation by the media. Nevertheless, it happens, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9,10 (click to see context) from:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision. People have died while an entire neighborhood watched and listened to them scream for help. When asked why they didn't call 911, most reply that they figured someone else would, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
to:
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision. People TruthInTelevision, although [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese the often used, most famous example]] seems to have died while an entire neighborhood watched and listened to them scream for help. When asked why they didn't call 911, most reply that they figured someone else would, been mostly a misrepresentation by the media. Nevertheless, it happens, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Then again, he was just wondering if that planet would be really better off without them. (He'd never been there before)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
-->-- '''Ford Prefect''', ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (though this is actually describing a PerceptionFilter)
to:
-->-- '''Ford Prefect''', ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' ''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything'' (though this is actually describing a PerceptionFilter)
Changed line(s) 74 (click to see context) from:
* The former TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
to:
* The former TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''.''Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 74 (click to see context) from:
* The TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
to:
* The former TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 153 (click to see context) from:
* From ''[[WebVideo/DeathNoteTheAbridgedSeries1KidsEntertainment 1Kids Entertainment' Death Note The Abridged Series]]'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5C0EvT01k&feature=PlayList&p=03389DC24AABE458&index=6]]:
to:
* From ''[[WebVideo/DeathNoteTheAbridgedSeries1KidsEntertainment 1Kids Entertainment' Entertainment's Death Note The Abridged Series]]'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5C0EvT01k&feature=PlayList&p=03389DC24AABE458&index=6]]:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* From ''[[WebVideo/DeathNoteTheAbridgedSeries1KidsEntertainment 1Kids Entertainment' Death Note The Abridged Series]]'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5C0EvT01k&feature=PlayList&p=03389DC24AABE458&index=6]]:
--> '''[[Manga/DeathNote L]]''': ...and in this footage you can see various pedestrians who clearly don't give a $h!t that somebody near them just collapsed and died.
--> '''[[Manga/DeathNote L]]''': ...and in this footage you can see various pedestrians who clearly don't give a $h!t that somebody near them just collapsed and died.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 57 (click to see context) from:
* A man on the street frantically screaming "They're here!" only to be ignored / assumed mad in most if not all versions of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
to:
* A man on the street frantically screaming "They're here!" only to be ignored / assumed mad in most if not all versions of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".''InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers''.
Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
* In TheSimpsons Movie when Homer and Family escapes Springfield via Sandbox, Wiggum says that they are [[DiggingToChina China's]] problem now.
to:
* In TheSimpsons Movie ''TheSimpsonsMovie'' when Homer and Family escapes Springfield via Sandbox, Wiggum says that they are [[DiggingToChina China's]] problem now.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** The chapter aptly named "The Bystanders", explores this trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Removing links to old name. They\'d\'ve been circular anyway.
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
Does somebody need a million dollars to pay off a loan shark? Is he bleeding to death on the street? Will a nuclear war start if he doesn't get the launch codes? [[TortureCellar Has he found out that young girls are vanishing into a house where the windows are coated with human blood]]? Whatever it is, he begs people for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as they're concerned, it's SomebodyElsesProblem. They're ApatheticCitizens and have more important things to worry about, like their [[SeinfeldianConversation back pains]].
to:
Does somebody need a million dollars to pay off a loan shark? Is he bleeding to death on the street? Will a nuclear war start if he doesn't get the launch codes? [[TortureCellar Has he found out that young girls are vanishing into a house where the windows are coated with human blood]]? Whatever it is, he begs people for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as they're concerned, it's SomebodyElsesProblem.somebody else's problem. They're ApatheticCitizens and have more important things to worry about, like their [[SeinfeldianConversation back pains]].
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Film/{{The Mummy|1999}}'', O'Connell tries to convince Evy that ''the end of the world'' is SomebodyElsesProblem, with little success.
to:
* In ''Film/{{The Mummy|1999}}'', O'Connell tries to convince Evy that ''the end of the world'' is SomebodyElsesProblem, somebody else's problem, with little success.
Changed line(s) 57 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', Somerset tells Mills, "The first thing they teach women in rape prevention is never cry for help. Always yell 'Fire!' Nobody answers to 'Help!' You holler 'Fire!', they come running." After all, "In any major city, minding your own business is a science." Presumably fire is less SomebodyElsesProblem than rape because it can quickly become ''everyone's'' problem.
to:
* In ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', Somerset tells Mills, "The first thing they teach women in rape prevention is never cry for help. Always yell 'Fire!' Nobody answers to 'Help!' You holler 'Fire!', they come running." After all, "In any major city, minding your own business is a science." Presumably fire is less SomebodyElsesProblem subject to this syndrome than rape because it can quickly become ''everyone's'' problem.
Changed line(s) 69 (click to see context) from:
* Richard Mayhew's refusal to yield to this trope, when he found Door bleeding on the sidewalk, led him into London Below in ''{{Neverwhere}}''. His fiancee declared it SomebodyElsesProblem, and so remained in London Above.
to:
* ''{{Neverwhere}}'':
** Richard Mayhew's refusal to yield to this trope, when he found Door bleeding on the sidewalk, led him into London Belowin ''{{Neverwhere}}''. in. His fiancee declared it SomebodyElsesProblem, someone else's problem, and so remained in London Above.
** Richard Mayhew's refusal to yield to this trope, when he found Door bleeding on the sidewalk, led him into London Below
Changed line(s) 150 (click to see context) from:
* Literature/FineStructure weaponizes this with a weapon that turns a person into SomebodyElsesProblem. You can scream and wave and punch people and people will care so little that they won't notice any of it. Or you. Ever again.
to:
* Literature/FineStructure ''Literature/FineStructure'' weaponizes this with a weapon that turns causes a person into SomebodyElsesProblem.to be ignored by anyone around them. You can scream and wave and punch people and people will care so little that they won't notice any of it. Or you. Ever again.
Changed line(s) 156 (click to see context) from:
* Every character in ''{{Futurama}}'' has decided, at least once, that the current crisis is SomebodyElsesProblem.
to:
* Every character in ''{{Futurama}}'' has decided, at least once, that the current crisis is SomebodyElsesProblem.somebody else's problem.
Changed line(s) 169 (click to see context) from:
** In ''SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'', Zorak and Moltar frequently get bored with Space Ghost's show, and decide their jobs on it are SomebodyElsesProblem. Sometimes Space Ghost gets bored with his own show, and does the same thing.
to:
** In ''SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'', Zorak and Moltar frequently get bored with Space Ghost's show, and decide their jobs on it are SomebodyElsesProblem.for someone else to do. Sometimes Space Ghost gets bored with his own show, and does the same thing.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
->''"It's like a blind spot. It's something you don't see, or can't see, or your brain doesn't let you see because it assumes that it's Somebody. Else's. Problem."''
to:
[[caption-width-right:299:Right. Because getting that picture is a lot more important than helping the guy out.]]
->''"It's like a blind spot. It's something you don't see, or can't see, or your brain doesn't let you see because it assumes that it's Somebody. Else's. Problem."''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
->''"It's like a blind spot. It's something you don't see, or can't see, or your brain doesn't let you see because it assumes that it's Somebody. Else's. Problem."''
-->-- '''Ford Prefect''', ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (though this is actually describing a PerceptionFilter)
Does somebody need a million dollars to pay off a loan shark? Is he bleeding to death on the street? Will a nuclear war start if he doesn't get the launch codes? [[TortureCellar Has he found out that young girls are vanishing into a house where the windows are coated with human blood]]? Whatever it is, he begs people for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as they're concerned, it's SomebodyElsesProblem. They're ApatheticCitizens and have more important things to worry about, like their [[SeinfeldianConversation back pains]].
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision. People have died while an entire neighborhood watched and listened to them scream for help. When asked why they didn't call 911, most reply that they figured someone else would, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
It can be one of the reasons why the heroes are TheOnlyOne group dealing with a problem, [[WithThisHerring even if they don't have the adequate resources for it]]. It can also explain why they often grow to think that they must personally deal with [[ChronicHeroSyndrome everything]].
May overlap with CityOfWeirdos. Compare AdultsAreUseless and PoliceAreUseless, where people of authority are cursed with this. See also DyingLikeAnimals. Contrast SamaritanSyndrome, wherein people in authority ''aren't'' cursed with this and it drives them nuts, and WhoWillBellTheCat, where they are deeply concerned until the onus is put on them. If someone with this view is pushing it onto others, it becomes NotYourProblem as well.
%%'''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''
[[noreallife]]
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Anime and Manga]]
* In ''CodeGeass'': "My mother is dead!" "Old news, what of it?" [[spoiler:This dialogue took place between a boy and his father. Just days after it happened.]]
** Justified in that [[spoiler:acting this way was part of the father's really bastardy XanatosRoulette[[hottip:*: The truth was that the mother wasn't quite dead, and the father actually WAS affected by it.]]]].
* Kanako Oora in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' has this as her defining character trait. To her, everything else is somebody else's problem. Like, say, a huge pile of corpses in the classroom after one of Chiri's rampages. On the other hand, everybody calls her magnanimous for not judging you for your problems.
* If it doesn't involve his [[MoralityPet little brother Mokuba]], his company [=KaibaCorp=], his position as a duelist, defeating Yugi Moto, or owning the most powerful cards (particularly ones related to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon), this defines Seto Kaiba of the original ''Manga/YuGiOh'' to a T.
** But at some point after the series ends, he starts caring enough to devote a significant part of his [[{{Fiction500}} vast fortune]] into creating Duel Academia, a school intended to deal with all the magical consequences of Duel Monsters. Thus setting the stage for ''Anime/YuGiOhGX''.
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was basically "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
* ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'': During their encounter at Fortree, Ruby states to Sapphire that he has no intention of helping defend Hoenn from Teams Magma and Aqua - his reasons being that [A] he's only in it for the Contests and [B] he isn't Hoenn born and raised. [[WhatTheHellHero Cue the fireworks.]]
* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' had a few instances when passer-bys decided to ignore the heroes' home because they were used to strange happenings there and didn't want to get involved.
* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'': "I don't know, and I have no opinion."
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Kyuubey only cares about things related to his mission, and is perfectly willing to [[spoiler:let the earth get destroyed]].
* RurouniKenshin: Kenshin's master Seijuro Hiko taught Kenshin everything he knows about swordsmanship and [[StorybreakerPower is strong enough]] [[AllPowerfulBystander to curbstomp every other fighter in the manga]]. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the antagonists) he's just too apathetic and antisocial to be bothered to get involved. He does [[HeroicNeutral give Kenshin a break once]], though.
* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'': Umi takes this attitude at first. In the anime, her sword's first [[EvolvingWeapon evolution]] happens when she decides that it really isn't.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Comics]]
* This is a regularly occurring concept in the Marvel and DC universes. Even in places where several super-powered heroes or organizations of heroes coexist, most notably the Marvel Universe's New York City metropolitan area, they tend to let everybody deal with their respective Rogue Gallery, regardless of the possible threat to civilians. This is averted on a fairly regular basis, but is still noticeable.
** In ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'', the X-Men call out the Avengers for not being more responsive to the frequent attempts at ''genocide'' mutants have to fight off on a regular basis.
* In ''ComicBook/{{DMZ}}'', Wilson has kept [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs his army of "grandsons"]] out of several fights and military incidents because it either isn't their fight, isn't their war, isn't something that concerns them, etc. Wilson's only concern is building up his power in China Town/among the Chinese, and working towards being the most powerful force in Manhattan.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the material used to make Rorschach's mask was intended for a dress for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]], the namesake of Genovese Syndrome, also known as the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect bystander effect]]".
* [[Franchise/{{Spider-man}} Peter Parker]] let a burglar run right by him when he could have easily stopped him because he didn't think it was his problem. [[DeathByOriginStory He would regret this for the rest of his life.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Fanfiction]]
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', just about any public act of violence seems to be accompanied by this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', fully a third of the gags are set up by contrasting the terrible things happening and the passengers' [[SelectiveObliviousness complete indifference]] to them. Examples include the unconscious bodies of the pilots being dragged through the aisle, a [[LittlestCancerPatient little girl]] nearly dying after her IV gets knocked out, and the OffscreenCrash near the end.
** The passengers in ''AirplaneIITheSequel'' react with utter stoicism to being told that the lunar shuttle they're on is off course and being hit by asteroids. Being told they are [[MustHaveCaffeine out of coffee]] induces a full scale riot.
* Seems to be a prominent theme in ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', notably at the beginning; when the wrong man is sentenced to death, all any of the departments care about is that the problem doesn't trace back to them.
* Rick Blaine in ''{{Casablanca}}'' appears this way for a while ("I stick my neck out for nobody"), especially when he seems willing to turn over a resistance leader to the Nazis because he is married to Rick's former lover. Eventually, however, we see that Rick isn't nearly as selfish as he lets on.
* In ''Film/{{The Mummy|1999}}'', O'Connell tries to convince Evy that ''the end of the world'' is SomebodyElsesProblem, with little success.
* A man on the street frantically screaming "They're here!" only to be ignored / assumed mad in most if not all versions of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
* In ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', Somerset tells Mills, "The first thing they teach women in rape prevention is never cry for help. Always yell 'Fire!' Nobody answers to 'Help!' You holler 'Fire!', they come running." After all, "In any major city, minding your own business is a science." Presumably fire is less SomebodyElsesProblem than rape because it can quickly become ''everyone's'' problem.
** Also people will come if they expect to see a fire, just for no other reason than people think watching fire is cool. Sad but true.
* Similarly, ''Film/LastActionHero'' has the villain, after he's transported to reality, shoot a man in an alley to test a theory.
--> '''Benedict''' (shouting in the street): Hello! I have just shot a man and I did it on purpose! ([[ChirpingCrickets silence]]) I ''said'', I have just murdered a man, and I wish to confess!
--> '''Citizen''': Hey, shut up down there!
* BigJake: ''"I haven't interfered in anyone else's business since I was eighteen years old... and it damn near got me killed!"'' He changes his mind when he witnesses a KickTheDog moment on the part of one of the goons.
* ''{{Irreversible}}'' has a woman brutally raped in an underpass. While the camera focus is on the action, the background shows someone enter the underpass, take a look at what's happening, turn around and walk away without even calling the cops.
* In TheSimpsons Movie when Homer and Family escapes Springfield via Sandbox, Wiggum says that they are [[DiggingToChina China's]] problem now.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* In Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' Moist von Lipwig notes that people pay more attention to small noises than big ones, because while small noises are immediate and threatening, loud noises are 'everyone's problem, and therefore, not mine'.
* Richard Mayhew's refusal to yield to this trope, when he found Door bleeding on the sidewalk, led him into London Below in ''{{Neverwhere}}''. His fiancee declared it SomebodyElsesProblem, and so remained in London Above.
** Residents of London Below tend not to be noticed by the Above folks in the first place. Later in the book, his fiance recognzies him for a brief moment, then is unable to even -see- him.
* In the Literature/{{Gone}} series, 90% of the Perdido Beach kids have this attitude. An apartment is burning down with a kid inside? Sam can deal with it. We're running out of food? Sam can find more. The Human Crew is running around trying to kill the mutants? That's the Sam's problem, not ours. Caine and Drake have gotten into the Power Plant and are going to feed uranium to a monster? It's Sam's job to stop them!
* The TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* The [[FiveManBand Four Man Band]] of ''{{Seinfeld}}'' is incarcerated in the finale for the many, many times they do this (as well as just being horrible). The breaking point is the four watching a man get mugged and laughing about it.
* In one episode of ''TheYoungOnes'', the characters have stumbled across a time warp and now have a horde of medieval peasants out to kill them. They are terrified, and wonder aloud how they are going to get out of this predicament, when Vyvyan says "Who cares?", and the housemates instantly lose interest in ''their own'' mortal peril. End of episode. Considering they [[TheyKilledKenny die on a near-daily basis...]]
* Malcolm Tucker in ''TheThickOfIt'' calls this trope [=NoMFuP=]: "Not My Fucking Problem".
* [[MemeticBadass Jack Bauer]] of [[Series/TwentyFour 24]], season 2 premiere. He's still haunted by his wife's murder, his daughter wants nothing to do with him, and he's on the verge of suicide. The reason he leaves is to warn Kim to get out of LA. Later, when seeing a mother with her child, Jack decides to do something about it.:
---> '''Mason:''' There's a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. We believe it's going to go off today.
---> '''Jack:''' How good's your intel?
---> '''Mason:''' ''Very.''
---> ''[Jack walks out]''
* This ''must'' be the reason [[BurnNotice Michael Westen]] gets away with so ''very '''many''''' illegal acts in the middle of downtown Miami. Unless he wants the police to show up, people will safely ignore him when he sets off explosives, gets involved in car chases, and generally makes a mess of the local real estate. [[spoiler: At least, until we find out that he's being specifically protected by various organizations, purposefully making it so the police barely take notice of his activities.]]
* This is pretty much how most citizens of Sunnydale react to the rampant supernatural activity in their town on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
* PlayedForDrama in the DoctorWho [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen 2012 Christmas Special]]. The Doctor [[spoiler: [[HeroicBSOD is so depressed]] over the loss of the Ponds, that he doesn't care about saving the universe anymore. Fortunately, Clara snaps him out of it.]]
* In ''Series/{{Highlander}}'', Methos has survived for millennia mostly by avoiding trouble.
---> '''Duncan''': Don't you want to see Robert and Gina live happily ever after?
---> '''Methos''': Yeah, but I want to see ''me'' live happily ever after even more.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Memetic Mutation]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skCV2L0c6K0 "Not my chair, not my problem. That's what I always say."]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* The OingoBoingo song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQy5vKAaTuA "Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me"]] embodies this trope.
* Phil Ochs's song "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" deals with the political ramifications of this trope.
* Music/TheProtomen's first album is a deconstruction of HoldingOutForAHero, with this as an accompanying theme. In the first song, Protoman is built to liberate an oppressed city from Dr. Wily and his robot army, but after a protracted battle through the streets, he's killed by Wily's robots while a crowd of citizens look on, none of them willing to risk themselves to save "their hero."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* There's one MisterBoffo comic where all of the passengers one one side of an airplane are panicking. The passengers on the other side of the plane sit quietly and confident, because, as one of them brags, "We've still got ''our'' wing!"
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''{{Exalted}}'': The design philosophy of high level Stealth charms. Won't it be easier if people (supernaturally) ignore you doing your business of killing someone?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:TV Tropes Wiki]]
* Certain tropers sometimes spot a mistake in an entry, but can't be bothered to fix it, considering it... hey, why are you looking at me like that?
** Well, sometimes they're afraid of getting caught up in an EditWar. They might see something so wrong it makes them wanna spit, but they know if they fix it, whoever made the mistake will change it back, and before they know it, they're edit-banned because somebody couldn't admit they were wrong. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Not that that's ever happened to me.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* This is the general attitude of most townspeople in video games. It will be TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and they'll just be continuing on with their normal townspeople things, [[AdamSmithHatesYourGuts charging the heroes for supplies to save the world]].
** And asking you to deliver trinkets to some dude and generally just standing around doing nothing.
* This happens in every single RPG in existence, even when there's a giant meteor hanging in the sky or the last boss is hanging over the earth in a huge purple blob and [[AllUpToYou you're the world's only hope.]] Chalk it down to how confident they are in the hero's skills.
** A notable subversion is ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}} 7'', in which competing parties are not only attempting to reach the same goal as your party, they can actually [[spoiler:find and take important main-quest items before you, making the game more difficult to finish.]]
* In the ''BaldursGate'' games, the lazy, lazy members of the world may well claim to be amazing warriors, but they'll still stand around waiting for you to reach them before they go to rescue their friend/kill rats/buy a book/retrieve something that was stolen.
** In regards to characters the developers intended to be recruitable to your party, that's really more a case of TakeYourTime mixed with AlwaysClose. They ''are'' going to go do that in just a little bit, but you "happen" to show up before then.
* ''FinalFantasyX'' lampshades this with a merchant charging the party when a giant monster is rampaging outside. Even though he acknowledges that he might die soon, he has confidence in the party.
* In ''Zelda'' games, the world's gonna be destroyed if the princess isn't rescued, whether she's been kidnapped, turned to stone, or vanished off the face of Hyrule. Since you, Link, are already dealing with it, nobody's worried. It's YOUR problem now. They even charge you for equipment vital to your quest.
** Averted in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' - everybody knows that something horrible is about to happen. By nightfall of the last day, almost all of them have fled town - of the few who you are able to locate at this point, they acknowledge their flight probably won't make a difference. Only those in serious denial of the imminent catastrophe (and you, the player) remain behind.
* Senel Coolidge from ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'' has this mindset at first. He acts as if the world revolve around Shirley, and if something unrelated to her is presented to him, he ignores them or at least tell him not to bugger him with it, pissing off many people, especially [[{{Tsundere}} Chloe]], though eventually he stopped obsessing about her completely. This one is so bad that in the ''TalesOfTheWorld'', he gets a WhatTheHellHero yell that he'd rather let the world be destroyed than just halting his search for Shirley, then he takes the hint (after all, if the world is destroyed, he can't even reunite with Shirley at all).
* This trope is why nobody helps Aeka with the horrible bullying she deals with in ''Yume Miru Kusuri''. People realize she is suffering, but don't help her for fear that they will become targets. If the player picks her route, Kohei and her get so fed up with this that they [[spoiler: leave school entirely]].
* [[BadassBookworm Soren]] from ''FireEmblem: Path of Radiance'' especially. His first response to finding [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess Elincia]] is to suggest leaving her behind, and then handing her over to the invading armies because "It's none of our concern." [[DarkAndTroubledPast There's]] [[ParentalAbandonment good reason]] [[HarmfulToMinors for his cynical outlook]] By the next game [[DefrostingIceQueen He Gets Better]].
* VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion, being a WideOpenSandbox, allows you, the player, to ignore an '''impending demonic invasion.''' Sadly, it doesn't affect the gameplay by much, so you won't see any consequences of your negligence.
** Averted by VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim, where people are highly concerned about the dragon attacks, and will help fight any dragons in their area if they're able, but most of the local warriors are busy with the civil war going on, leaving it up to you to look into the dragons.
* Averted in VideoGame/DragonQuestIV. The first major city the Hero visits after his village is destroyed contains a party of adventures leaving (in formation) to defeat the ancient evil now that the Hero has (allegedly) been killed.
* At the end of the ''VideoGame/BackToTheFuture'' Telltale games, [[spoiler: three alternate future Martys appear, begging for Marty and Doc's help in saving the future.]] Marty and Doc decide to just ignore them and go for a drive. In their defense, they had just finished a lengthy adventure across time and space, and it's [[SequelHook strongly implied]] they'll get around to dealing with this eventually. Remember, they have a time machine and can deal with this sort of thing whenever they want.
* One of the lyrics of VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'s ending song, Want you Gone, is "You're someone else's problem/Now I only want you gone".
* Averted in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''. Most of the playable characters could easily live their lives without being seriously by impacted the threat Lavos poses to the planet, but they decide that it is their problem.
* Ah yes..."Reapers". [[MassEffect Councilor Sparatus]] has dismissed that claim. This two years ''after'' Saren attacks [[spoiler: the Citadel ''at Sovereign's request'']] during the final battle of Mass Effect. The turian air-quotes of denial care nothing that [[spoiler: Sovereign]] was a Reaper.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* This is how Yuuichi treats Mikan when he first finds her in ''WankoToKurasou''. He figures that a dying [[LittleBitBeastly puppy girl]] lying in the streets is somebody else's problem and leaves it to either get sheltered by someone else or die. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He later rescues her himself.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Comics]]
* This happens pretty often in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', since the main characters are generally only interested in 1: survival and 2: getting paid.
* DomainTnemrot: Morris assaults an eight-year-old girl in the middle of a crowded ballroom. No one notices. [[spoiler: Then Angel slams his head into a table hard enough to break his nose. Nobody notices ''that'', either.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* The attitude of the general population towards demons in ''[[BecomingABetterWriter Demonic Symphony]]'', and oh boy does it backfire
* There's an Wiki/{{SCP|Foundation}} that lets people literally get away with murder by doing this. The knife is even implied to be the murder weapon that killed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]].
** And a hat that functions as an SEP field -- the effects of which are permanent if you wear it too much.
* Literature/FineStructure weaponizes this with a weapon that turns a person into SomebodyElsesProblem. You can scream and wave and punch people and people will care so little that they won't notice any of it. Or you. Ever again.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Most characters in ''DrawnTogether'' (considering the prevalent {{Jerkass}}-ness) have done this at one point or another, but Captain Hero, a superhero whose CatchPhrase is "SAVE YOURSELVES!", is probably the worst offender. His response to Disney/{{Bambi}} wailing to him about his dead mother (that he shot no less) is:
-->'''Captain Hero:''' "Sucks to be you!"
* Every character in ''{{Futurama}}'' has decided, at least once, that the current crisis is SomebodyElsesProblem.
** Scruffy the Janitor may be the most blatant offender here: when asked why he didn't fix the boiler, his reply was "schedule conflict" and another flip of his porn magazine. When said boiler was getting ready to go critical ''ten feet away''.
-->'''Scruffy:''' "Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived." (licks finger, turns page)
** It was also sort of used when the characters decide they don't care that Earth will be threatened by a giant garbage ball in about a thousand years. Mostly because launching said garbage ball was their method of averting the very same crisis during the present day.
* ''InvaderZim''
** A fair bit of the humour comes from the fact that nobody ever notices all the alien spaceships and HumongousMecha that routinely appear. This is more of a HumansAreMorons thing.
** Gaz however plays this straight. While she's one of the few humans who actually knows that Zim's an alien, she could care less. In her defense, she's just aware of Zim's incompetence and sees no need to do anything when he'll eventually screw himself over.
* ''TheSimpsons''. When Lenny and Carl walk past a tank containing radioactive gas that's bursting at the seams, Carl remarks nonchalantly about the tank's imminent failure, to which Lenny quips "Who cares? It's Homer's problem." Considering how over-the-top the dialogue was given the situation, this could even be considered LampshadeHanging.
--> '''Chief Wiggum:''' (in response to a biker gang ravaging the Simpsons' house) "We have a little saying around here, let Michigan handle it."
** This trope becomes the idea to make Homer's recycling campaign very popular in Springfield by paying the workers more money by dragging everybody else's trash from inside their houses to the trash trucks. Later on, this backfires, horribly, to the point Springfield ends up becoming a huge dump and the city's buildings have to be relocated five miles away.
* The Williams Street cartoons for Creator/AdultSwim specialize in this.
** In ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', Master Shake has a different (and often bizarrely random) reason every episode for not caring about what's going on - even in "Revenge of the Trees," where the MonsterOfTheWeek was looking for revenge on Shake.
** ''{{Sealab 2021}}'' does this a lot. In the pilot episode, "I, Robot," Quinn is trying to save Sealab from exploding -- but everyone else is too busy with a SeinfeldianConversation to help. In "Green Fever," zombies attack the station, but Debbie is too busy preparing her birthday party, Stormy and Sparks are busy chatting about steel pipes, etc. Exactly who is uncaring varies; in "No Waterworld," Quinn is too busy with his monster truck to help Debbie find out why all the water around the station has disappeared.
** In ''SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'', Zorak and Moltar frequently get bored with Space Ghost's show, and decide their jobs on it are SomebodyElsesProblem. Sometimes Space Ghost gets bored with his own show, and does the same thing.
* This is very prevalent in ''TheFairlyOddparents''.
** In "That Old Black Magic, every [[AlwaysChaoticEvil anti-fairy]] escapes from prison, and Jorgen prepares to round them up. Then his shift ends, to which he responds "Your problem."
** The world gets taken over and heavily modified in every movie (twice in one of them) and the people act accordingly. Timmy usually makes an extravagant wish and somehow either everyone doesn't notice or is too stupid to understand what is happening.
* In ''SpongebobSquarepants'' - ''Wet Painters'', Spongebob is in danger of having his butt removed by his boss and is abandoned in a moment of crisis by his own reflection.
* ''MegasXLR'': Coop is the king of this trope. In one instance, he made a horde of rampaging monsters someone else's problem by chucking them into Philadelphia. In another, he blew up part of the moon, causing worldwide climatic change, and his only concern was buying bubblegum ice cream. He's destroyed several planets with (usually) no remorse, and is arguably more of a danger to the universe than the race trying to conquer it. [[spoiler:A race that he ''created''.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': It's been heavily implied, in the show and by WordOfGod (Jesse Moynihan on his Formspring,) that Princess Bubblegum had this attitude about her creation, Lemongrab. He's mentally screwed-up as a result of being the product of a failed experiment. Princess Bubblegum probably couldn't handle the responsibility of raising him and looking after him, being the busy ruler of a princessipality, so she stuck him in Castle Lemongrab to be raised by servants.
* [[SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Superman]], [[OutOfCharacterMoment of all people]], initially had this attitude when he ended up on another planet that had been conquered by Mala and Jax-Ur, a couple of Kryptonian renegades who escaped from the Phantom Zone. He soon had a change of heart and agreed to stay and fight. In the end, he was reminded of the proverb, "Evil prevails when good men do nothing." He concluded it was a lesson he would never again forget.
[[/folder]]
----
%%Please do not add RealLife examples as they attract an amazing amount of Natter on this trope.
-->-- '''Ford Prefect''', ''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (though this is actually describing a PerceptionFilter)
Does somebody need a million dollars to pay off a loan shark? Is he bleeding to death on the street? Will a nuclear war start if he doesn't get the launch codes? [[TortureCellar Has he found out that young girls are vanishing into a house where the windows are coated with human blood]]? Whatever it is, he begs people for help -- but no help is forthcoming. As far as they're concerned, it's SomebodyElsesProblem. They're ApatheticCitizens and have more important things to worry about, like their [[SeinfeldianConversation back pains]].
Sadly, this trope is often TruthInTelevision. People have died while an entire neighborhood watched and listened to them scream for help. When asked why they didn't call 911, most reply that they figured someone else would, leading to the advice evolving into "''Tell'' someone to help, directly", as people are much more prone to following direct orders in an emergency situation than a directionless plea for aid. Sometimes this is used to demonstrate {{anvilicious}}ly that HumansAreBastards.
It can be one of the reasons why the heroes are TheOnlyOne group dealing with a problem, [[WithThisHerring even if they don't have the adequate resources for it]]. It can also explain why they often grow to think that they must personally deal with [[ChronicHeroSyndrome everything]].
May overlap with CityOfWeirdos. Compare AdultsAreUseless and PoliceAreUseless, where people of authority are cursed with this. See also DyingLikeAnimals. Contrast SamaritanSyndrome, wherein people in authority ''aren't'' cursed with this and it drives them nuts, and WhoWillBellTheCat, where they are deeply concerned until the onus is put on them. If someone with this view is pushing it onto others, it becomes NotYourProblem as well.
%%'''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease'''
[[noreallife]]
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Anime and Manga]]
* In ''CodeGeass'': "My mother is dead!" "Old news, what of it?" [[spoiler:This dialogue took place between a boy and his father. Just days after it happened.]]
** Justified in that [[spoiler:acting this way was part of the father's really bastardy XanatosRoulette[[hottip:*: The truth was that the mother wasn't quite dead, and the father actually WAS affected by it.]]]].
* Kanako Oora in ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' has this as her defining character trait. To her, everything else is somebody else's problem. Like, say, a huge pile of corpses in the classroom after one of Chiri's rampages. On the other hand, everybody calls her magnanimous for not judging you for your problems.
* If it doesn't involve his [[MoralityPet little brother Mokuba]], his company [=KaibaCorp=], his position as a duelist, defeating Yugi Moto, or owning the most powerful cards (particularly ones related to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon), this defines Seto Kaiba of the original ''Manga/YuGiOh'' to a T.
** But at some point after the series ends, he starts caring enough to devote a significant part of his [[{{Fiction500}} vast fortune]] into creating Duel Academia, a school intended to deal with all the magical consequences of Duel Monsters. Thus setting the stage for ''Anime/YuGiOhGX''.
* Invoked by [[BigBad Fate]] in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', when he tries to convince Negi not to interfere with his plans to destroy the Magic World. His argument was basically "This isn't your world, it's just a fantasy, and you really shouldn't interfere in it's affairs." This is before Negi discovers [[spoiler:[[TheHighQueen who his mother is]].]]
* ''Manga/PokemonSpecial'': During their encounter at Fortree, Ruby states to Sapphire that he has no intention of helping defend Hoenn from Teams Magma and Aqua - his reasons being that [A] he's only in it for the Contests and [B] he isn't Hoenn born and raised. [[WhatTheHellHero Cue the fireworks.]]
* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' had a few instances when passer-bys decided to ignore the heroes' home because they were used to strange happenings there and didn't want to get involved.
* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'': "I don't know, and I have no opinion."
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Kyuubey only cares about things related to his mission, and is perfectly willing to [[spoiler:let the earth get destroyed]].
* RurouniKenshin: Kenshin's master Seijuro Hiko taught Kenshin everything he knows about swordsmanship and [[StorybreakerPower is strong enough]] [[AllPowerfulBystander to curbstomp every other fighter in the manga]]. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the antagonists) he's just too apathetic and antisocial to be bothered to get involved. He does [[HeroicNeutral give Kenshin a break once]], though.
* ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'': Umi takes this attitude at first. In the anime, her sword's first [[EvolvingWeapon evolution]] happens when she decides that it really isn't.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Comics]]
* This is a regularly occurring concept in the Marvel and DC universes. Even in places where several super-powered heroes or organizations of heroes coexist, most notably the Marvel Universe's New York City metropolitan area, they tend to let everybody deal with their respective Rogue Gallery, regardless of the possible threat to civilians. This is averted on a fairly regular basis, but is still noticeable.
** In ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'', the X-Men call out the Avengers for not being more responsive to the frequent attempts at ''genocide'' mutants have to fight off on a regular basis.
* In ''ComicBook/{{DMZ}}'', Wilson has kept [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs his army of "grandsons"]] out of several fights and military incidents because it either isn't their fight, isn't their war, isn't something that concerns them, etc. Wilson's only concern is building up his power in China Town/among the Chinese, and working towards being the most powerful force in Manhattan.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the material used to make Rorschach's mask was intended for a dress for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]], the namesake of Genovese Syndrome, also known as the "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect bystander effect]]".
* [[Franchise/{{Spider-man}} Peter Parker]] let a burglar run right by him when he could have easily stopped him because he didn't think it was his problem. [[DeathByOriginStory He would regret this for the rest of his life.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Fanfiction]]
* In ''Fanfic/KyonBigDamnHero'', just about any public act of violence seems to be accompanied by this trope.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', fully a third of the gags are set up by contrasting the terrible things happening and the passengers' [[SelectiveObliviousness complete indifference]] to them. Examples include the unconscious bodies of the pilots being dragged through the aisle, a [[LittlestCancerPatient little girl]] nearly dying after her IV gets knocked out, and the OffscreenCrash near the end.
** The passengers in ''AirplaneIITheSequel'' react with utter stoicism to being told that the lunar shuttle they're on is off course and being hit by asteroids. Being told they are [[MustHaveCaffeine out of coffee]] induces a full scale riot.
* Seems to be a prominent theme in ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', notably at the beginning; when the wrong man is sentenced to death, all any of the departments care about is that the problem doesn't trace back to them.
* Rick Blaine in ''{{Casablanca}}'' appears this way for a while ("I stick my neck out for nobody"), especially when he seems willing to turn over a resistance leader to the Nazis because he is married to Rick's former lover. Eventually, however, we see that Rick isn't nearly as selfish as he lets on.
* In ''Film/{{The Mummy|1999}}'', O'Connell tries to convince Evy that ''the end of the world'' is SomebodyElsesProblem, with little success.
* A man on the street frantically screaming "They're here!" only to be ignored / assumed mad in most if not all versions of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
* In ''Film/{{Se7en}}'', Somerset tells Mills, "The first thing they teach women in rape prevention is never cry for help. Always yell 'Fire!' Nobody answers to 'Help!' You holler 'Fire!', they come running." After all, "In any major city, minding your own business is a science." Presumably fire is less SomebodyElsesProblem than rape because it can quickly become ''everyone's'' problem.
** Also people will come if they expect to see a fire, just for no other reason than people think watching fire is cool. Sad but true.
* Similarly, ''Film/LastActionHero'' has the villain, after he's transported to reality, shoot a man in an alley to test a theory.
--> '''Benedict''' (shouting in the street): Hello! I have just shot a man and I did it on purpose! ([[ChirpingCrickets silence]]) I ''said'', I have just murdered a man, and I wish to confess!
--> '''Citizen''': Hey, shut up down there!
* BigJake: ''"I haven't interfered in anyone else's business since I was eighteen years old... and it damn near got me killed!"'' He changes his mind when he witnesses a KickTheDog moment on the part of one of the goons.
* ''{{Irreversible}}'' has a woman brutally raped in an underpass. While the camera focus is on the action, the background shows someone enter the underpass, take a look at what's happening, turn around and walk away without even calling the cops.
* In TheSimpsons Movie when Homer and Family escapes Springfield via Sandbox, Wiggum says that they are [[DiggingToChina China's]] problem now.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* In Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' Moist von Lipwig notes that people pay more attention to small noises than big ones, because while small noises are immediate and threatening, loud noises are 'everyone's problem, and therefore, not mine'.
* Richard Mayhew's refusal to yield to this trope, when he found Door bleeding on the sidewalk, led him into London Below in ''{{Neverwhere}}''. His fiancee declared it SomebodyElsesProblem, and so remained in London Above.
** Residents of London Below tend not to be noticed by the Above folks in the first place. Later in the book, his fiance recognzies him for a brief moment, then is unable to even -see- him.
* In the Literature/{{Gone}} series, 90% of the Perdido Beach kids have this attitude. An apartment is burning down with a kid inside? Sam can deal with it. We're running out of food? Sam can find more. The Human Crew is running around trying to kill the mutants? That's the Sam's problem, not ours. Caine and Drake have gotten into the Power Plant and are going to feed uranium to a monster? It's Sam's job to stop them!
* The TropeNamer is ''TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', specifically ''Life, the Universe, and Everything''. We're introduced to the concept of the Somebody Else's Problem Field, a sort of stealth system that automatically triggers the WeirdnessCensor of anyone who looks directly at it. When it first crops up in the book, Ford tries looking at it from odd angles to get through. Meanwhile, Arthur just calmly remarks that he can see through it (which, obviously, means that it's his problem).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* The [[FiveManBand Four Man Band]] of ''{{Seinfeld}}'' is incarcerated in the finale for the many, many times they do this (as well as just being horrible). The breaking point is the four watching a man get mugged and laughing about it.
* In one episode of ''TheYoungOnes'', the characters have stumbled across a time warp and now have a horde of medieval peasants out to kill them. They are terrified, and wonder aloud how they are going to get out of this predicament, when Vyvyan says "Who cares?", and the housemates instantly lose interest in ''their own'' mortal peril. End of episode. Considering they [[TheyKilledKenny die on a near-daily basis...]]
* Malcolm Tucker in ''TheThickOfIt'' calls this trope [=NoMFuP=]: "Not My Fucking Problem".
* [[MemeticBadass Jack Bauer]] of [[Series/TwentyFour 24]], season 2 premiere. He's still haunted by his wife's murder, his daughter wants nothing to do with him, and he's on the verge of suicide. The reason he leaves is to warn Kim to get out of LA. Later, when seeing a mother with her child, Jack decides to do something about it.:
---> '''Mason:''' There's a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. We believe it's going to go off today.
---> '''Jack:''' How good's your intel?
---> '''Mason:''' ''Very.''
---> ''[Jack walks out]''
* This ''must'' be the reason [[BurnNotice Michael Westen]] gets away with so ''very '''many''''' illegal acts in the middle of downtown Miami. Unless he wants the police to show up, people will safely ignore him when he sets off explosives, gets involved in car chases, and generally makes a mess of the local real estate. [[spoiler: At least, until we find out that he's being specifically protected by various organizations, purposefully making it so the police barely take notice of his activities.]]
* This is pretty much how most citizens of Sunnydale react to the rampant supernatural activity in their town on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
* PlayedForDrama in the DoctorWho [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen 2012 Christmas Special]]. The Doctor [[spoiler: [[HeroicBSOD is so depressed]] over the loss of the Ponds, that he doesn't care about saving the universe anymore. Fortunately, Clara snaps him out of it.]]
* In ''Series/{{Highlander}}'', Methos has survived for millennia mostly by avoiding trouble.
---> '''Duncan''': Don't you want to see Robert and Gina live happily ever after?
---> '''Methos''': Yeah, but I want to see ''me'' live happily ever after even more.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Memetic Mutation]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skCV2L0c6K0 "Not my chair, not my problem. That's what I always say."]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* The OingoBoingo song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQy5vKAaTuA "Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me"]] embodies this trope.
* Phil Ochs's song "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends" deals with the political ramifications of this trope.
* Music/TheProtomen's first album is a deconstruction of HoldingOutForAHero, with this as an accompanying theme. In the first song, Protoman is built to liberate an oppressed city from Dr. Wily and his robot army, but after a protracted battle through the streets, he's killed by Wily's robots while a crowd of citizens look on, none of them willing to risk themselves to save "their hero."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* There's one MisterBoffo comic where all of the passengers one one side of an airplane are panicking. The passengers on the other side of the plane sit quietly and confident, because, as one of them brags, "We've still got ''our'' wing!"
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''{{Exalted}}'': The design philosophy of high level Stealth charms. Won't it be easier if people (supernaturally) ignore you doing your business of killing someone?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:TV Tropes Wiki]]
* Certain tropers sometimes spot a mistake in an entry, but can't be bothered to fix it, considering it... hey, why are you looking at me like that?
** Well, sometimes they're afraid of getting caught up in an EditWar. They might see something so wrong it makes them wanna spit, but they know if they fix it, whoever made the mistake will change it back, and before they know it, they're edit-banned because somebody couldn't admit they were wrong. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Not that that's ever happened to me.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* This is the general attitude of most townspeople in video games. It will be TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and they'll just be continuing on with their normal townspeople things, [[AdamSmithHatesYourGuts charging the heroes for supplies to save the world]].
** And asking you to deliver trinkets to some dude and generally just standing around doing nothing.
* This happens in every single RPG in existence, even when there's a giant meteor hanging in the sky or the last boss is hanging over the earth in a huge purple blob and [[AllUpToYou you're the world's only hope.]] Chalk it down to how confident they are in the hero's skills.
** A notable subversion is ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}} 7'', in which competing parties are not only attempting to reach the same goal as your party, they can actually [[spoiler:find and take important main-quest items before you, making the game more difficult to finish.]]
* In the ''BaldursGate'' games, the lazy, lazy members of the world may well claim to be amazing warriors, but they'll still stand around waiting for you to reach them before they go to rescue their friend/kill rats/buy a book/retrieve something that was stolen.
** In regards to characters the developers intended to be recruitable to your party, that's really more a case of TakeYourTime mixed with AlwaysClose. They ''are'' going to go do that in just a little bit, but you "happen" to show up before then.
* ''FinalFantasyX'' lampshades this with a merchant charging the party when a giant monster is rampaging outside. Even though he acknowledges that he might die soon, he has confidence in the party.
* In ''Zelda'' games, the world's gonna be destroyed if the princess isn't rescued, whether she's been kidnapped, turned to stone, or vanished off the face of Hyrule. Since you, Link, are already dealing with it, nobody's worried. It's YOUR problem now. They even charge you for equipment vital to your quest.
** Averted in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' - everybody knows that something horrible is about to happen. By nightfall of the last day, almost all of them have fled town - of the few who you are able to locate at this point, they acknowledge their flight probably won't make a difference. Only those in serious denial of the imminent catastrophe (and you, the player) remain behind.
* Senel Coolidge from ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'' has this mindset at first. He acts as if the world revolve around Shirley, and if something unrelated to her is presented to him, he ignores them or at least tell him not to bugger him with it, pissing off many people, especially [[{{Tsundere}} Chloe]], though eventually he stopped obsessing about her completely. This one is so bad that in the ''TalesOfTheWorld'', he gets a WhatTheHellHero yell that he'd rather let the world be destroyed than just halting his search for Shirley, then he takes the hint (after all, if the world is destroyed, he can't even reunite with Shirley at all).
* This trope is why nobody helps Aeka with the horrible bullying she deals with in ''Yume Miru Kusuri''. People realize she is suffering, but don't help her for fear that they will become targets. If the player picks her route, Kohei and her get so fed up with this that they [[spoiler: leave school entirely]].
* [[BadassBookworm Soren]] from ''FireEmblem: Path of Radiance'' especially. His first response to finding [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses Princess Elincia]] is to suggest leaving her behind, and then handing her over to the invading armies because "It's none of our concern." [[DarkAndTroubledPast There's]] [[ParentalAbandonment good reason]] [[HarmfulToMinors for his cynical outlook]] By the next game [[DefrostingIceQueen He Gets Better]].
* VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion, being a WideOpenSandbox, allows you, the player, to ignore an '''impending demonic invasion.''' Sadly, it doesn't affect the gameplay by much, so you won't see any consequences of your negligence.
** Averted by VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim, where people are highly concerned about the dragon attacks, and will help fight any dragons in their area if they're able, but most of the local warriors are busy with the civil war going on, leaving it up to you to look into the dragons.
* Averted in VideoGame/DragonQuestIV. The first major city the Hero visits after his village is destroyed contains a party of adventures leaving (in formation) to defeat the ancient evil now that the Hero has (allegedly) been killed.
* At the end of the ''VideoGame/BackToTheFuture'' Telltale games, [[spoiler: three alternate future Martys appear, begging for Marty and Doc's help in saving the future.]] Marty and Doc decide to just ignore them and go for a drive. In their defense, they had just finished a lengthy adventure across time and space, and it's [[SequelHook strongly implied]] they'll get around to dealing with this eventually. Remember, they have a time machine and can deal with this sort of thing whenever they want.
* One of the lyrics of VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'s ending song, Want you Gone, is "You're someone else's problem/Now I only want you gone".
* Averted in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''. Most of the playable characters could easily live their lives without being seriously by impacted the threat Lavos poses to the planet, but they decide that it is their problem.
* Ah yes..."Reapers". [[MassEffect Councilor Sparatus]] has dismissed that claim. This two years ''after'' Saren attacks [[spoiler: the Citadel ''at Sovereign's request'']] during the final battle of Mass Effect. The turian air-quotes of denial care nothing that [[spoiler: Sovereign]] was a Reaper.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* This is how Yuuichi treats Mikan when he first finds her in ''WankoToKurasou''. He figures that a dying [[LittleBitBeastly puppy girl]] lying in the streets is somebody else's problem and leaves it to either get sheltered by someone else or die. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He later rescues her himself.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Comics]]
* This happens pretty often in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', since the main characters are generally only interested in 1: survival and 2: getting paid.
* DomainTnemrot: Morris assaults an eight-year-old girl in the middle of a crowded ballroom. No one notices. [[spoiler: Then Angel slams his head into a table hard enough to break his nose. Nobody notices ''that'', either.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* The attitude of the general population towards demons in ''[[BecomingABetterWriter Demonic Symphony]]'', and oh boy does it backfire
* There's an Wiki/{{SCP|Foundation}} that lets people literally get away with murder by doing this. The knife is even implied to be the murder weapon that killed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese Kitty Genovese]].
** And a hat that functions as an SEP field -- the effects of which are permanent if you wear it too much.
* Literature/FineStructure weaponizes this with a weapon that turns a person into SomebodyElsesProblem. You can scream and wave and punch people and people will care so little that they won't notice any of it. Or you. Ever again.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Most characters in ''DrawnTogether'' (considering the prevalent {{Jerkass}}-ness) have done this at one point or another, but Captain Hero, a superhero whose CatchPhrase is "SAVE YOURSELVES!", is probably the worst offender. His response to Disney/{{Bambi}} wailing to him about his dead mother (that he shot no less) is:
-->'''Captain Hero:''' "Sucks to be you!"
* Every character in ''{{Futurama}}'' has decided, at least once, that the current crisis is SomebodyElsesProblem.
** Scruffy the Janitor may be the most blatant offender here: when asked why he didn't fix the boiler, his reply was "schedule conflict" and another flip of his porn magazine. When said boiler was getting ready to go critical ''ten feet away''.
-->'''Scruffy:''' "Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived." (licks finger, turns page)
** It was also sort of used when the characters decide they don't care that Earth will be threatened by a giant garbage ball in about a thousand years. Mostly because launching said garbage ball was their method of averting the very same crisis during the present day.
* ''InvaderZim''
** A fair bit of the humour comes from the fact that nobody ever notices all the alien spaceships and HumongousMecha that routinely appear. This is more of a HumansAreMorons thing.
** Gaz however plays this straight. While she's one of the few humans who actually knows that Zim's an alien, she could care less. In her defense, she's just aware of Zim's incompetence and sees no need to do anything when he'll eventually screw himself over.
* ''TheSimpsons''. When Lenny and Carl walk past a tank containing radioactive gas that's bursting at the seams, Carl remarks nonchalantly about the tank's imminent failure, to which Lenny quips "Who cares? It's Homer's problem." Considering how over-the-top the dialogue was given the situation, this could even be considered LampshadeHanging.
--> '''Chief Wiggum:''' (in response to a biker gang ravaging the Simpsons' house) "We have a little saying around here, let Michigan handle it."
** This trope becomes the idea to make Homer's recycling campaign very popular in Springfield by paying the workers more money by dragging everybody else's trash from inside their houses to the trash trucks. Later on, this backfires, horribly, to the point Springfield ends up becoming a huge dump and the city's buildings have to be relocated five miles away.
* The Williams Street cartoons for Creator/AdultSwim specialize in this.
** In ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', Master Shake has a different (and often bizarrely random) reason every episode for not caring about what's going on - even in "Revenge of the Trees," where the MonsterOfTheWeek was looking for revenge on Shake.
** ''{{Sealab 2021}}'' does this a lot. In the pilot episode, "I, Robot," Quinn is trying to save Sealab from exploding -- but everyone else is too busy with a SeinfeldianConversation to help. In "Green Fever," zombies attack the station, but Debbie is too busy preparing her birthday party, Stormy and Sparks are busy chatting about steel pipes, etc. Exactly who is uncaring varies; in "No Waterworld," Quinn is too busy with his monster truck to help Debbie find out why all the water around the station has disappeared.
** In ''SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'', Zorak and Moltar frequently get bored with Space Ghost's show, and decide their jobs on it are SomebodyElsesProblem. Sometimes Space Ghost gets bored with his own show, and does the same thing.
* This is very prevalent in ''TheFairlyOddparents''.
** In "That Old Black Magic, every [[AlwaysChaoticEvil anti-fairy]] escapes from prison, and Jorgen prepares to round them up. Then his shift ends, to which he responds "Your problem."
** The world gets taken over and heavily modified in every movie (twice in one of them) and the people act accordingly. Timmy usually makes an extravagant wish and somehow either everyone doesn't notice or is too stupid to understand what is happening.
* In ''SpongebobSquarepants'' - ''Wet Painters'', Spongebob is in danger of having his butt removed by his boss and is abandoned in a moment of crisis by his own reflection.
* ''MegasXLR'': Coop is the king of this trope. In one instance, he made a horde of rampaging monsters someone else's problem by chucking them into Philadelphia. In another, he blew up part of the moon, causing worldwide climatic change, and his only concern was buying bubblegum ice cream. He's destroyed several planets with (usually) no remorse, and is arguably more of a danger to the universe than the race trying to conquer it. [[spoiler:A race that he ''created''.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': It's been heavily implied, in the show and by WordOfGod (Jesse Moynihan on his Formspring,) that Princess Bubblegum had this attitude about her creation, Lemongrab. He's mentally screwed-up as a result of being the product of a failed experiment. Princess Bubblegum probably couldn't handle the responsibility of raising him and looking after him, being the busy ruler of a princessipality, so she stuck him in Castle Lemongrab to be raised by servants.
* [[SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Superman]], [[OutOfCharacterMoment of all people]], initially had this attitude when he ended up on another planet that had been conquered by Mala and Jax-Ur, a couple of Kryptonian renegades who escaped from the Phantom Zone. He soon had a change of heart and agreed to stay and fight. In the end, he was reminded of the proverb, "Evil prevails when good men do nothing." He concluded it was a lesson he would never again forget.
[[/folder]]
----
%%Please do not add RealLife examples as they attract an amazing amount of Natter on this trope.
