History Main / AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength

* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'': How Shizuo thinks of his [[TheBerserker berserker]] SuperStrength rages and how they hurt people he doesn't intend at times. As he puts it, "I hate violence." As in, he hates the fact he [[HairTriggerTemper can't keep his cool]] and leaves carnage in his wake every time he ''does'' lose it.

* Prior to her CharacterDevelopment regarding this trope, Koneko of ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' held back her Nekomata power, fearing she would end up like her sister Kuroka, who lost control and killed their previous master. [[spoiler:Of course, [[SubvertedTrope it turns out Kuroka had rather sympathetic reasons for killing their previous master that had nothing to do with a loss of control]]]].

** It's implied to be ''part'' of the meaning behind Squad 3's theme of "Despair" as given by [[Characters/BleachThirteenCourtGuardSquads1To7 Izuru Kira]]
--->'''Izuru Kira''': Battle is not a stage for empty heroics and nor is it something to take pleasure in. Battle is filled with despair. Dark, ''terrifying''. That is the way that it should be. That way, people learn to fear battle and to choose the path of non-violence whenever possible.

** Why Berthold is so careful about who he shares the secret of flame alchemy with, it's so powerful it can shape the world. [[spoiler:in the same vein why Riza insists that Roy burn the secrets to Flame alchemy off her back]]

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' Lucius Fox has this reaction to the cell enabled sonar map of Gotham, which it seems [[BatmanGambit Bruce anticipated]] and exactly ''why'' he only trusts it to Fox.

* ''Literature/AscendanceOfABookworm'': Bonifatius is both physically strong and HotBlooded, resulting in him being calmer than his usual self around his sole granddaughter, who is of poor consitution. The few times he acts impulsively in said granddaughter's presence, near-miss AndCallHimGeorge moments happen. In one scene, he's asked to carry the girl out of a room whose other occupants are either too busy or unable to do so and freaks out until he can put her in another person's care.
* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'': How Shizuo thinks of his [[TheBerserker berserker]] SuperStrength rages and how they hurt people he doesn't intend at times. As he puts it, "I hate violence." As in, he hates the fact he [[HairTriggerTemper can't keep his cool]] and leaves carnage in his wake every time he ''does'' lose it.
* In the ''Literature/EarthsChildren'' series Jondalar is afraid of the strength of his emotions, so he has trained himself to not get too attached to anyone. (In the backstory he had severely injured another man when the other man had caught Jondalar getting emotionally attached to a woman who it was culturally taboo for him to connect with.) This changes once he meets Ayla.
* Prior to her CharacterDevelopment regarding this trope, Koneko of ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' held back her Nekomata power, fearing she would end up like her sister Kuroka, who lost control and killed their previous master. [[spoiler:Of course, [[SubvertedTrope it turns out Kuroka had rather sympathetic reasons for killing their previous master that had nothing to do with a loss of control]].]]
* In the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'' Eragon is told that the dangers of learning one's true name is two fold, either you GoMadFromTheRevelation of knowing yourself so well or you become crippled by fear from the idea of having such a perfect and complete control over yourself (or, if the True name is not yours, having over another).

* When Lina Inverse of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' learns what her secret spell, Giga Slave, really is about (it is about requesting intervention of an unpredictable, chaotic creator overdeity who may destroy the world on a whim), she goes through a period of being afraid of her own knowledge. This is, however, temporary and later on, she is once again ready to cast Giga Slave.

* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', Rand, [[BlessedWithSuck because using his magic will]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity cause him to go insane]], he is afraid that he will hurt people with his power. This is especially true after [[spoiler:he uses [[AmplifierArtifact Callandor]] against the Seanchan and ends up killing as many of his own men as the enemy.]]
** The "block" that wilders develop, preventing them from using their power except under particular limiting circumstances, arises from a similar fear.

* Part of the HandWave for why ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' lose almost all of their upgrades in between consecutive games; they have the potential to be unstoppable in power, and they know it all too well. The latter is also a pacifist by his upbringing.

* In the backstory of ''Webcomic/MobPsycho100'', Mob initially feels this way after nearly killing his brother and some thugs when the thugs [[DefenseMechanismSuperpower knock him out]]. This is what causes him to seek out Master Reigen, who teaches Mob that his power is like a knife: a useful tool that should never be used on people. Even then Mob is still so afraid that he pushes his emotions down and has ended up [[EmotionlessBoy severely emotionally stunted]].

* Prior to her CharacterDevelopment regarding this trope, Koneko of ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' held back her Nekomata power, fearing she would end up like her sister Kuroka, who lost control and killed their previous master. [[spoiler:Of course, [[SubvertedTrope it turns out Kuroka had rather sympathetic reasons for killing their previous master that had nothing to do with a loss of control]].]]

[[folder:Light Novels]]

* When Lina Inverse of ''LightNovel/TheSlayers'' learns what her secret spell, Giga Slave, really is about (it is about requesting intervention of an unpredictable, chaotic creator overdeity who may destroy the world on a whim), she goes through a period of being afraid of her own knowledge. This is, however, temporary and in the fifth season, she is once again ready to cast Giga Slave.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': Bonifatius is both physically strong and HotBlooded, resulting in him being calmer than his usual self around his sole granddaughter, who is of poor consitution. The few times he acts impulsively in said granddaughter's presence, near-miss AndCallHimGeorge moments happen. In one scene, he's asked to carry the girl out of a room whose other occupants are either too busy or unable to do so and freaks out until he can put her in another person's care.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "Let He Who Is Without Sin...", Worf tells how, when growing up on Earth, he accidentally killed a classmate during a soccer game. He was devastated by guilt, and the incident taught him that humans are more fragile than Worf. Ever since, he has been mindful to restrain himself in the company of others.

* Bruce Banner has this attitude about the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]], also a possible interpretation of Hulk's quote from ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk''

* Black Bolt king of ComicBook/TheInhumans has a voice so powerful he once immobilized [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] with a whisper and [[HeWhoMustNotBeHeard destroyed a city when he was born crying]] (he's only gotten more powerful), because of this he has taken a vow of silence except in extreme cases and has [[TheSilentBob mastered body language]].

* Bruce Banner has this attitude about the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]], also a possible interpretation of Hulk's quote from ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk''

* Why Guts from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' decides he has to fight from now on without fully using his berserker's armor: it causes his [[EnemyWithin inner]] [[HellHound hell beast]] to take control and [[OmnicidalManiac literally]] [[KillEmAll kill everything]] he sees and this is the embodiment of his [[BlackBugRoom internal rage and hatred]]... needless to say Guts has [[FreudianExcuse issues]].

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower Ma-Ti is potentially the strongest of the group.]] If he used his powers to their fullest extent, he could knock people unconscious, [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood mind-control them]], or [[TheBeastmaster sic wild beasts on them]]. However, he doesn't like using the non-peaceful abilities of the ring, and ones that involve mentally manipulating people are right off the table.

** In ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E10ARoyalProblem "A Royal Problem"]], it's implied that this is the reason for Princess Celestia's [[TheWorfEffect less-than-stellar fighting record]]: she has incredible power and could destroy Equestria single-hoofedly if she desired (witness [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Daybreaker]]), but she doesn't because she cares for her subjects' well-being.

* MutuallyAssuredDestruction is essentially this when thought out to its final conclusion, not only do the two superpowers destroy each other but they kill the entire planet.

The reason for this fear is what keeps it an interesting bit of character struggle[[note]]it's ''usually'' moral or sanity based, being between what they are capable of and what they can see properly allowable of themselves[[/note]] as does how it may or may not be [[CharacterizationMarchesOn resolved]] or [[StatusQuoIsGod not]]. Expect a NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech at one point or another.

* Prior to her CharacterDevelopment regarding this trope, Koneko of ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD'' held back her Nekomata power, fearing she would end up like her sister Kuroka, who lost control and killed their previous master. [[spoiler:Of course, it turns out Kuroka had rather sympathetic reasons for killing their previous master that had nothing to do with a loss of control.]]

Sometimes it's hard to live with the thought you could kill, maim or destroy with very little effort, often the only difference between being a mass murderer and terrorist and a hero is being scared of what you are capable of and keeping it in check.

* Their powers include a SuperpoweredEvilSide, a DefenseMechanismSuperpower or a case of BadPowersGoodPeople.

--->'''Izuru Kira''': "Battle is not a stage for empty heroics and nor is it something to take pleasure in. Battle is filled with despair. Dark, '''terrifying'''. That is the way that it should be. That way, people learn to fear battle and to choose the path of non-violence whenever possible."

* In the backstory of ''Manga/MobPsycho100'', Mob initially feels this way after nearly killing his brother and some thugs when the thugs [[DefenseMechanismSuperpower knock him out]]. This is what causes him to seek out Master Reigen, who teaches Mob that his power is like a knife: a useful tool that should never be used on people. Even then Mob is still so afraid that he pushes his emotions down and has ended up [[EmotionlessBoy severely emotionally stunted]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant''. How the giant views his [[DefenseMechanismSuperpower inadvertent]] [[SuperPoweredEvilSide reactions]] to guns.

** During the episode "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheAvatarState The Avatar State]]", Aang is haunted by how scary and destructive he can be when he's in Avatar State; being that he's a pacifist by nature and upbringing, it's very justified. In the episode he even says "I was scary" referring to the avatar state.
** After Aang burns [[spoiler:Katara when he gets impatient with his firebending lessons]], he swears that he will never firebend again, this comes up two more times, once in his training with Guru Pathik (who comments that it was the thing Aang let go of the hardest) and when he learns from the masters of the Sun Warriors, only letting it go when the Chief tells him [[spoiler:Fire is not only destruction but life too.]]
** Aang's stopping of himself and his past lives from killing Ozai could be considered this or sticking up to his beliefs of pacifism and no killing but the fact that the horrified look on Ozai's face is the thing that seems to trigger it, it could be construed as a factor.
** Also Katara's reluctance to use blood bending is an example, she sees it as morally reprehensible and feeling wrong "Reaching inside someone like that."

For whatever reason a character (usually a [[TheHero hero]] or AntiHero) is worried about doing more harm than good whenever they use their powers or abilities. Sometimes this only causes a healthy amount caution and stricter set of [[FightsLikeANormal self imposed moral rules]], occasionally it can get to the point of being WillfullyWeak and using PowerLimiters but sometimes it's so bad that they are petrified with the [[GoMadFromTheRevelation fear of what could go wrong]] to the point of a RefusalOfTheCall, TenMinuteRetirement or becoming a RetiredBadass. Occasionally this is the result of '''not''' knowing WhatYouAreInTheDark where the little ideas in the back of the mind tempt them to abuse their power or position for the better good [[WellIntentionedExtremist at the cost of general well-being or freedoms]]. Also, they're afraid to put the ones they care about endanger and don't want any bad people going after them or anyone closes to them in order to use them for their own gain.

* ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'': Both Rarity and Fluttershy have this regarding their Fullbring, which is keeping them from evolving them any further. For Fluttershy, who can make people commit suicide or even make their hearts stop beating [[BadPowersGoodPeople it's fearing what her powers could potentially do]], and for Rarity it's the thought that she may actually need to [[ItGetsEasier take a life with her powers.]]

* ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'': Both Rarity and Fluttershy have this regarding their Fullbring, which is keeping them from evolving them any further. For Fluttershy, who can make people commit suicide or even make their hearts stop beiting [[BadPowersGoodPeople it's fearing what her powers could potentially do]], and for Rarity it's the thought that she may actually need to [[ItGetsEasier take a life with her powers.]]

* Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse: [[Characters/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Superman]] and [[Characters/JusticeLeague Flash]] have this bad and it is used to {{Handwave}} why their powers seem brought down so that the League is about equal.