History PlayingWith / CruelToBeKind

* '''Justified''': If everyone was actively helpful then no one could function alone.

** Bob is incredibly helpful, doing so the people he aids become helpless without him.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob appears cruel to be kind, but is really a jerk. Except he actually just wants people to believe that so they know unforgivable people exist. However, he's excessively cruel in doing so...

* '''Exploited''': Bob's rival tricks Bob's patients to focus more on his cruelty than his helpfulness.

** "I do not ''care'' how "kind" you think it will be for me in the long run, if you ever treat me like that, I'll pay you back with greater "kindness", by which I mean I will make sure you spend a huge chunk of your life in ICU! Do you understand me?"
* '''Discussed''': "Bob is such a jerk, always insulting people." "You didn't notice? The people he insults grow used to it so they aren't bothered by anyone's insults."
* '''Conversed''': "I don't get it, why would anyone think being cruel to be kind works?" "Well, if you're just clearly helpful then people will expect you to do their work for them."

** Bob, known for being cruel, is ultimately avoided regardless of how helpful he is because he's still ''cruel'' in doing so.
** The people Bob 'helped' become angry and vengeful toward him and retaliate by [[ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine making his life just as miserable as he made them]] while telling him to thank them for returning his so-called 'kindness'.
** Bob's "kindness" is nothing of the sort, only him using the pretense of being "cruel to be kind" as an excuse to tear people down and satiating his sadistic desires. When people figure this out, they start to avoid him because it's clear that he's a selfish arrogant tool twisting the truth to justify his actions.
** Bob's attempts to impart a valuable lesson to Alice through an apparent act of cruelty, but it doesn't work because the cruelty is all Alice noticed. Bob's actions ended up [[DontShootTheMessage shooting the message]].
*** Alice may eventually notice the lesson Bob was trying to convey, but chooses to ignore the lesson because Bob was such an asshole about it.
* '''Reconstructed''': Though known for being cruel in his attempts to be helpful, the fact he's actually successful gets people to seek him out.

* '''Played For Drama''': Bob's attempts to be cruel to be kind work, except he's now clearly hated by the person he helped.

** Alternatively, the people Bob 'helped' become angry and vengeful toward him and retaliate by [[ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine making his life just as miserable as he made them]] while telling him to thank them for returning his so-called 'kindness'.

* '''Subverted''': Bob appears to be cruel to be kind, but he's really just a jerk who doesn’t care about other people.

* '''Played For Horror''': Bob borrowed his book on how to be cruel to be kind from [[Franchise/{{Saw}} John "Jigsaw" Kramer]].

* '''Subverted''': Bob appears to be cruel to be kind, but he's really just a jerk who doesn’t care about what happens to others.

* '''Subverted''': Bob appears to be cruel to be kind, but he's really just a jerk.

** Alternatively, The people Bob 'helped' become angry and vengeful toward him and retaliate by [[ATasteOfTheirOwnMedicine making his life just as miserable as he made them]] while telling him to thank them for returning his so-called 'kindness'.

* '''Played For Horror''': Bob borrowed his book on how to be cruel to be kind from [[Film/{{Saw}} John "Jigsaw" Kramer]].

* '''Defied''': "If I'm going to be kind, then I'll actually ''be'' kind about it."

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob appears to cruel to be kind, but is really a jerk. Except he actually just wants people believing that so they know unforgivable people exist. Yet he's excessively cruel in doing so, however...

* '''Deconstructed''': Bob, known for being cruel, is ultimately avoided regardless of how helpful he is because he's still ''cruel'' in doing so.

** CruelMercy

Back to CruelToBeKind

* '''Straight''': Bob insults his sensitive friends so they'll learn to ignore insults.

* '''Parodied''': Bob is Charlie's childhood bully and never misses a day in bullying him. When high school comes around and Bob brings some other (genuine) bullies to torment him, Charlie has finally had enough, telling Bob off then and there and fighting his way to the school entrance-- and Bob immediately stops and congratulates him for standing up to his tormentors. Charlies responds by punching him.

* '''Parodied''': ???

* '''Discussed''': "Bob is such a jerk, always insulting people." "You didn't noticed? The people he insults grow used to it so they aren't bothered by anyone's insults."

* '''Played For Laughs''': Bob acts under the idea of highly unlikely situations, such as volcanic eruption and robotic uprisings, in his attempts to be cruelly kind.

* '''Inverted''': Bob is incredibly helpful, doing so the people he aids become helpless without him.

'''Basic Trope''': Being cruel to someone to ultimately help them in the long term.
* '''Straight''': Bob insults his sensitive friends so they'll learn to ignore insults.
* '''Exaggerated''': Bob straight up ruins Charlie's life so he'll stop using emotions to judge his actions.

* '''Justified''': If everyone was actively helpful then no one could function alone.
* '''Inverted''': Bob is incredibly helpful, doing so the people he aids become helpless without him.
* '''Subverted''': Bob appears to be cruel to be kind, but he's really just a jerk.
* '''Double Subverted''': ...Which is what he wants people believing, so they understand there are truly horrible people in this world.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Bob appears to cruel to be kind, but is really a jerk. Except he actually just wants people believing that so they know unforgivable people exist. Yet he's excessively cruel in doing so, however...
* '''Averted''': People either don't know how to be cruel or they don't care about helping.
* '''Enforced''': "We need the kiddies to know there are bad people in this world. How about we have Bob be cruel in his attempts to help?"
* '''Lampshaded''': "Yep, because people ''love'' being insulted, they'll ''totally'' forgive you upon realizing how helpful it was."

* '''Exploited''': Bob's rival tricks Bob's patients to focus more on his cruelty than his helpfulness.
* '''Defied''': "If I'm going to be kind, then I'll actually ''be'' kind about it."

* '''Conversed''': "I don't get it, why would anyone think being cruel to be kind works?" "Well, if you're just clearly helpful then people will expect you to do their work for them."

* '''Deconstructed''': Bob, known for being cruel, is ultimately avoided regardless of how helpful he is because he's still ''cruel'' in doing so.
* '''Reconstructed''': Though known for being cruel in his attempts to be helpful, the fact he's actually successful gets people to seek him out.

* '''Zig Zagged''': 

* '''Invoked''': ???

* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': 

* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
* '''Played For Drama''': ???