By skyforbes The Grinch steals the presents from the Whovilles in an attempt to expose what he believes is their true nature: materialistic and selfish. However, the Whos band together and sing, showing him that Christmas is about more than material things.
Similarly, the Joker rigs a passenger ship and a prison transport with explosives, assuming each group will destroy the other to save themselves. He is proven wrong when both groups refuse to detonate the bombs, choosing self sacrifice and compassion instead.