Before there were Trade Offers, there was the Law of Equivalent Exchange. The beloved manga series Fullmetal Alchemist and its many adaptations have all focused on the principle that "if one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given." The law is applicable to a lot of things in life, and that's part of what makes the story so enduring in people's minds. It also means there are a lot of memes to be made about the story, especially when the equivalent exchange is calling the main character short and having him explode at you in return.