History Main / WantingIsBetterThanHaving

* ''TheSandman'' story "The Hunt" is about a man who [[FallingForSomeoneNeverMet falls in love with a woman after seeing her picture in her locket]] and goes to great lengths to meet her. But when he finally does (and she is indeed every bit as beautiful as the picture made her out to be), he only gives the locket back to her and asks for nothing more. The implication is that he realized that she couldn't possibly live up to all his dreaming about her. [[supersecretspoiler: Also, he's a werewolf, so that might have something to do with it.]]

* According to historical legend, when Alexander the Great saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.
** A myth. Alexander was preparing for a big push into India when he died.
*** Good myth though

* This trope is somewhat hinted at by the third (and supposedly most sever)of three Chinese curses, "May you find what you are looking for"

* ''MyNameIsEarl'': when Earl was in a coma he dreamed of being married to Billie (AlyssaMilano) and it was awesome! Then he recovered and actually married her, and it was...not awesome.

* In ''TheSandman'', there is a story about a man who [[FallingForSomeoneNeverMet falls in love with a woman after seeing her picture in her locket]] and goes to great lengths to meet her. But when he finally does (and she is indeed every bit as beautiful as the picture made her out to be), he only gives the locket back to her and asks for nothing more. The implication is that he realized that she couldn't possibly live up to all his dreaming about her. [[supersecretspoiler: Also, he's a werewolf, so that might have something to do with it.]]

* PiersAnthony's [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] ''Battle Circle'' trilogy is made of this trope. No one ever seems to get what they (used to) want, except in the worst possible/least satisfying way. Overused to the point of a BrokenAesop ("Desire only ever leads to disappointment.")

* PiersAnthony's [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic]] novel ''Battle Circle'' is made of this trope. No one ever seems to get what they (used to) want, except in the worst possible/least satisfying way. Overused to the point of a BrokenAesop ("Desire only ever leads to disappointment.")

* A story arc in ''CalvinAndHobbes'' had Calvin sending away cereal box-tops for a motorized propeller beanie. While he restlessly waits the six weeks for the beanie to arrive, Calvin keeps dreaming about how he'll be able to use it to fly around the neighborhood. True to the trope, when the beanie finally comes, it's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just a beanie with a propeller]], and Calvin kicks it away in frustration. [[KidsPreferBoxes At least it came in a cool box...]]

* In ''ThePowerpuffGirls'', a collector of Powerpuff Girls' merchandise freaks out and turns into a villain when his collection is complete.

* Terry Sloane, the original Mister Terrific, had a backstory like this: He'd succeeded at everything he ever wanted to do, ans with no more goals to strive for, his life was meaningless. He was contemplating suicide when he met a woman who was also suicidal for different reasons that convinced him to become a superhero.

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* In ''InheritTheWind'', attorney Henry Drummond tells an AllThatGlitters warning about a rocking horse he wanted when he was a child. It was far too expensive for his family to get for him, but his father scrimped and saved and managed to purchase the rocking horse for Drummond as a Christmas present. And the first time Drummond got on it to ride, it fell apart from dry rot.

* The entire point of the film ''Millennium Actress''.

-->--The Chair of Indefinite Studies, ''{{Discworld/Hogfather}}''

* This is a SubvertedTrope in the case of AutoCAD and its related programs/add-ons KeySIGN, KeySIGN Eire, KeyLINES, KeySIGNALS as graphic designers say it takes a long time to learn the skills needed to appreciate its complexity. Not to mention the £4000+ cost of the software...

* James Branch Cabell's novels are full of this trope, but the eponymous protagonist of ''Jurgen'' learns it so hard that he walks up to his true love's bed, lifts the cover, and leaves her sleeping. He is, after all, a Monstrous Clever Fellow.

Sometimes it interacts with IJustWantToBeAccepted were the character desires to be popular only to return to it's closed social
circle.

* James Branch Cabell's novels are full of this trope, but the eponymous protagonist of Jurgen learns it so hard that he walks up to his true love's bed, lifts the cover, and leaves her sleeping. He is, after all, a Monstrous Clever Fellow.

James Branch Cabell's novels are full of this trope, but the eponymous protagonist of Jurgen learns it so hard that he walks up to his true love's bed, lifts the cover, and leaves her sleeping. He is, after all, a Monstrous Clever Fellow.