History Main / TooGoodToBeTrue

->''If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.''
-->--'''''Old Saying'''''

!!Examples

A ConMan's skill often lies in convincing TheMark to ignore this instinct, especially when it comes to a GetRickQuickScheme or a cheap item that FellOffTheBackOfATruck.

** When Nale gets caught by the same LotusEaterMachine, what breaks him out is the realization that he's been monologuing at the heroes for hours, and yet they haven't taken advantage of it.

* In the first ''[[Film/TheMatrix Matrix]]'' movie, Agent Smith gives a HannibalLecture about how this trope thwarted the machines' earliest efforts to build a Matrix that was intended to be a utopian Heaven-on-Earth for humanity because humanity just wasn't buying it: "It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost." He speculates that this distrust for perfection is inborn.

* In "Dead Stop" from ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', T'Pol notices Captain Archer is visibly troubled about the mysterious repair station they've found which is able and willing to fix every bit of the extensive damage to their ship (and the injuries to its crew) in exchange for the amazingly low price of just 200 liters of warp plasma. His instincts are sound, as it turns out there's a "hidden fee" the station also tries to extract from them.

* In ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'' Adolin is unsurprised and completely willing to believe Kaladin's claim that Amaram betrayed him and murdered his friends, noting that Amaram's completely flawless reputation suggests to him someone who's putting a lot of effort into looking good.This is at a time when his father's genuinely well meaning efforts are destroying his reputation.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', this is how Elan realizes that they are in a LotusEaterMachine.

TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction can be considered a sexual SubTrope. In crime and mystery novels where a case seems a little too open-and-shut, this may also involve an OrgyOfEvidence. See also YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle and SpoiledByTheFormat for some specific FridgeLogic that may clue the audience to this trope.

* In "Dead Stop" from ''StarTrekEnterprise'', T'Pol notices Captain Archer is visibly troubled about the mysterious repair station they've found which is able and willing to fix every bit of the extensive damage to their ship (and the injuries to its crew) in exchange for the amazingly low price of just 200 liters of warp plasma. His instincts are sound, as it turns out there's a "hidden fee" the station also tries to extract from them.

* Jack O'Neill notes this about the [[Franchise/{{Stargateverse}} Aschen]], a highly advanced race that basically solves all Earth's problems single handedly. Needless to say, he's right.

* Jack O'Neill said this about the Aschen, a highly advanced race that basically solves all Earth's problems single handedly. Needless to say, he's right.

* In the first ''[[Film/TheMatrix Matrix]]'' movie, Agent Smith gives a HannibalLecture about how this trope thwarted the machines' earliest efforts to build a Matrix that was intended to be a utopian Heaven-on-Earth for humanity because humanity just wasn't buying it: "It was a disaster. Whole clusters were lost." He speculates that this distrust for perfection is inborn.

* A somewhat downplayed example in ''AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'': Abis Mal is offered tons of treasures in exchange for setting his genie Jafar free. Initially he's elated, but just before he's going to make the wish, he remembers that Jafar has been a complete JackassGenie the entire time he's had him. If he sets Jafar free, what's stopping Jafar from making all his treasure disappear and doing horrible things to his former master the moment he's loose?
* A shop owner in ''ConeHeads'' admits to having suspected the truth all along when his incredibly industrious new employee Beldar admits to being an illegal alien (which technically he is, though the shop owner is unaware of just ''how'' alien he is).
* In the first ''[[TheMatrix Matrix]]'' movie, Agent Smith gives a HannibalLecture about how this trope thwarted the machines' earliest efforts to build a Matrix that was intended to be a utopian Heaven-on-Earth for humanity because humanity just wasn't buying it: "It was a disaster. Whole clusters were lost." He speculates that this distrust for perfection is inborn.
* As one of the investigators in ''MinorityReport'' points out, the cops' discovery of an "OrgyOfEvidence" actually makes him more skeptical that they're pursuing the right suspect (and he's right, sort of).
* In ''Terminator2JudgmentDay'', John calls his foster parents to see if they're safe from the T-1000. What initially tips him off that's something's not kosher is that his foster mother is being far nicer to him than she ''ever'' has before, since normally she's fed up with his juvenile delinquent ways. [[spoiler: Sure enough, the T-1000 has already replaced her, and is in the middle of killing off his foster father as well while they're talking.]]

* In episode 3 of season 1 of ''Series/DeathInParadise'' all of the evidence points to one person. Naturally, Richard feels it's all too neat.

* In episode 3 of season 1 of ''Series/DeathInParadise'' all of the evidence points to once person. Naturally, Richard feels it's all too neat.

* In "Dead Stop" from ''StarTrekEnterprise'', T'Pol notices Captain Archer is visibly troubled about the mysterious repair station they've found which is able and willing to fix every bit of the extensive damage to their ship (and the injuries to its crew) in exchange for the amazingly low price of just 200 liters of warp plasma. His instincts are sound, as it turns out there's a "hidden fee" the station also tries to extract from them.

* As one of the investigators in ''MinorityReport'' points out, the cops' discovery of an "orgy of evidence" actually makes him more skeptical that they're pursuing the right suspect (and he's right, sort of).

TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction can be considered a sexual SubTrope. See also YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle and SpoiledByTheFormat for some specific FridgeLogic that may clue the audience to this trope.

* In ''{{Castle}}'''s first episode, Richard Castle is rather bothered by how quickly and neatly everything on his first case falls so neatly into place, though the cops don't see anything wrong with this. It turns out he's right, and the man they've arrested is a patsy.