History Main / ForgotAboutTheMindReader

* In [[Literature/LegacyOfTheDrowSeries Siege of Darkeness]] where in order to protect himself from the mind reader he's confronting, one character will repeatedly picture himself performing gratuitous sex acts with said mind reader, repelling her.

* The [[OurVampiresAreDifferent sparkly, occasionally psychic vampires]] in ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' seem to experience a slight degree of this -- grossly inflated in {{Fanon}} for cheap jokes. (Edward being forced to listen in on his vampire parents having vampire sex... squick! Of course, they're fully aware. Or... ''"Dear diary... today I made Carlisle think he was in love with Edward. AGAIN! Laterz ~ Jasper."'' )

* There is a novel that subverts and then pokes fun at this trope. A female character can read minds through some [[ItMakesSenseInContext genetic defect]], and she's turned off all men because of it. However, in the story her fiancé is a French Canadian. He apparently thinks in French, thus she cannot understand him. When she asks him what his first thought of her was when he met her, he says "nice ass". They have a laugh about it.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':

-->'''Xander:''' "What am I gonna do? I think about sex all the time! Sex! Help! [[BookDumb Four times five is 30. Five times six is 32]]. Naked girls. Naked women! And naked Buffy! Oh, stop me!"

** Cordelia, of course, was completely fine. Her thoughts ''exactly'' matched what she said!
*** Well, [[BrutalHonesty she thinks tact is just not saying true things.]]

* Subverted in an episode of ''Series/TheXFiles''. After being shooed out of a room by a TV psychic for his "negative energy", Mulder meets the psychic in the hallway and shows him what negative energy really is with three words: "Read this thought." However, Mr Yappi's status as a PhonyPsychic is deliberately played to be ambiguous. He replies "[[YourMom So's your old man]]!" Therefore, it's possibly DoubleSubverted.

* Almost used in the first Literature/CiaphasCain ([[MemeticMutation HERO]] [[MemeticBadass OF THE]] [[FakeUltimateHero IMPERIUM!]]) novel when he realizes that Amberley Vail is a member of the Inquisition. His first thought is that she's a psyker, and is utterly terrified that she can read his mind, and will expose all the lies of his [[strike:completely undeserved]] reputation as a Hero. Turns out she's not a psyker, just really good at reading people.

* In ''Manga/ShamanKing'' this happens with Hao as the Mind Reader. [[spoiler: With Anna too, before she lost that power.]]

* Subverted in a one-off gag in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
-->'''Klaus:''' Stick-in-the-mud bitch.\\
'''Hayley:''' Klaus, I can hear you.\\
'''Klaus:''' I know. I'm insulting you. I'm pissed!

* Franchise/{{Superman}} Expy the Plutonian from the comic series ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'' has superhuman hearing. While not the same as telepathy, it allows him to hear what everyone on earth is saying about him, ''all the time''.

A character is thinking something either unflattering or romantic about another character. He's rambling on via internal monologue without a care in the world...until he remembers that the character he's thinking about [[MindReading can read minds]]. Still speaking only in his head, he gasps, [[OhCrap "Oh God, did she just hear that?"]] The answer is ''always'' "Of course she did."

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', [[ArcVillain Brain]] tells Cobra he did well against Natsu while Cobra can hear him thinking [[YouHaveFailedMe otherwise.]] Brain actually ''[[SubvertedTrope did]]'' know Cobra could hear him, and said what he did [[FauxAffablyEvil simply to mock Cobra.]]

--> '''Jean Grey''': In fact, you're the first person in six months that hasn't pictured me naked, so I appreciate that... until now. Are you done yet?
--> '''Spider-Man''': ...okay, I'm done. (Jean glares angrily at him) ...okay now I'm ''really'' done.
* Occurred in the first issue of the ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' Zero Hour reboot, where Live Wire, upon meeting Saturn Girl, had a number of embarrassing thoughts about her before noticing the Saturn insignia that marked her as a Titanian telepath. In a later issue he starts daydreaming about her while actually on Titan and ''surrounded'' by telepaths.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/29152848/chapters/71570283 Plague Ship]] has Kirk and Spock mentally linked so that the latter can protect his non-telepathic captain from the effects of the titular insanity plague. Only, Kirk seems to have some trouble keeping his thoughts on strictly mission relevant matters...

-->Ringo: THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR ME! DON'T YOU SEE? THIS WAY I CAN HAVE EVERYTHING! I DON'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE ANYTHING!
-->George: Except your soul, maybe, but what's a soul compared to all that other stuff?
-->Ringo: GO FUCK YOURSELF, GEORGE.
-->George: You know I'm right. And I know you know I'm right. You can't hide it here, we all feel it off you. You're like a big emotional lighthouse.
-->Ringo: … AHH, FUCK.

* Something along these lines happens in ''Literature/TheWitcher'' to Geralt. Because of his time spent with Yennefer, Geralt has become quite capable in handling the ubiquitous ability of sorcerers to read minds, even learning what it feels like when your mind is read. He is also aware that Yennefer loses control of her mind reading when she orgasms. In one scene he fills his thoughts with romantic pleasant imagery after having sex (waterfalls, fields of flowers, etc), unfortunately his mind wanders too far, and he lets slip the thought of him and Yennefer settling down in a cottage, and living like normal villagers/townsfolk. Geralt immediately regrets this and tries to cover it up, but Yennefer caught it, and teases him relentlessly afterwards.
* The Literature/{{Animorphs}} morphed into an alien creature that can read minds, and so the four characters who were present at the time were all suddenly thrust into the position of being able to hear all of each other's thoughts -- and, of course, knowing that the others could read their thoughts. The narrating character, Ax, describes the other characters' private thoughts at that moment in much more detail than his own; this is probably explained by the fact that the Animorphs engages in DirectLineToTheAuthor. (Certainly we can assume that Ax's overheard thoughts were just as [[DeusAngstMachina angsty]] as those of the other characters). Fortunately they quickly figure out how to turn it off. Marco breaks the tension of the moment by saying:

* OlderThanFeudalism: In the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Sarah hears one of the guests saying she will have a child in her very old age, and laughs in her heart. Then, that guest tells her husband (a softened up version of) what she thought -- and Sarah realizes she was laughing at [[AngelUnaware the all-knowing God]]...

* Subverted in an episode of ''Series/TheXFiles''. After being shooed out of a room by a TV psychic for his "negative energy", Mulder meets the psychic in the hallway and shows him what negative energy really is with three words: "Read this thought." However, Mr Yappi's status of a PhonyPsychic is deliberately played to be ambiguous. He replies: "[[YourMom So's your old man]]!" Therefore, it's possibly DoubleSubverted.

* In the ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts", when Toshiko gets hold of an alien device that enables her to read minds she's disgusted at the petty thoughts of her co-workers, more than a little upset about [[spoiler: Gwen and Owen's selfish affair]], and surprised by Ianto's pain. However when she's unable to read Captain Jack's mind (unless he wants her to) she's seriously freaked out.

--> '''Kerrigan:''' ...and... you pig!
--> '''Raynor:''' Uhhh, what? I... I didn't even say anything to you yet!
--> '''Kerrigan:''' Yeah, but you were thinking about it.
--> '''Raynor:''' Oh, yeah, you're a telepath. Look, let's just get on with this, all right?

--> '''Lili''': (thinking) When are you going to shut up and kiss me?
--> '''Raz''': Uhh... I can hear that, you know.
--> '''Lili''': (flirtatiously) I know...

--> '''Alice''': We still have a long way to go. Let's go the depths of the underworld. Hang in there!
--> '''Satori''': "Before that, let's search the house...." you think. I won't allow that! Please head to the courtyard immediately.
--> '''Marisa''': Damn.
* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' everyone in Paragon City seems to forget that it's pointless to try to keep things from Sister Psyche' since she is stuck listening to surface thoughts all day everyday anyway.

** [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] near the end of the comic. When Liquid executes Scratch, FOXHOUND's computer hacking specialist, for [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovering]] the upcoming [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Shadow Moses terror plot]], Ocelot comments that his partner Eddie will certainly notice Scratch's absence. Liquid states that he'll kill him too before suddenly remembering that Eddie's a psychic and therefore will see an ambush coming. Liquid has Mantis, a much more powerful psychic who overpower Eddie's powers, [[SubvertedTrope ambush him instead.]]

--> '''Dan''': (thinking) "I mean, what all can Cubi really do? Can they control elements? What are they prone to? Can they read minds?"
--> Ten surrounding Cubi, in unison: "YES!"

* Reversed in a notable episode of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''. Dexter tries to gain telepathy to read his father's mind and find out what his birthday presents are. He ends up having his every thought uncontrollably communicated to everyone, which leads numerous times to insulting people. [[spoiler:He finally gets around this by [[MotorMouth talking without pause]] so he has no thoughts to expose.]]

-->'''Quagmire:''' Man this itches. I wonder who gave it to me. Probably that skank who needed a ride to the gas station. Last time I do somebody a favor. ...Oh god, they must have heard me. Oh god, ''I'' can hear me! [[PsychicStatic Nananananananana!]]"

* Doctor Nemesis of ''[[ComicBook/XMen X-Club]]'' gets saddled with this problem after a telepathic starfish bonds to his head and starts broadcasting his internal monologues. He and Doctor Rao discovered the starfish was telepathic when it broadcasted that Doctor Nemesis frequently admires Doctor Rao's "shapely behind". The starfish later broadcasts Nemesis' jealousy of Cyclops' costume and his craving for his co-worker Jeffries' friendship.

-->Spock (amused tolerance of a stuck-babysitting-elder-brother): Your plans for the next shore leave are no concern of mine, Jim. And [[NoJustNoReaction no, I certainly will not ]]be accompanying you – [[NotDistractedByTheSexy the forms of entertainment offered at Risa holds no appeal for me.]]

* Harry tends to grumble about this in the sequel of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', thanks to his powerful PsychicPowers and the fact that he lives in a school full of [[HormoneAddledTeenager teenagers]]. To make things even [[SarcasmMode better]], Harry himself is TallDarkAndHandsome, quite muscular due to lots of BoxingLessonsForSuperman, and a literal PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor (even if there's some KnightInSourArmor tendencies there as well), leading to lots of said {{Hormone Addled Teenager}}s perving on ''him.''

* OlderThanFeudalism: In the [[Literature/TheBible Book of Genesis]], Sarah hears one of the guests saying she will have a child in her very old age, and laughs in her heart. Then, that guest tells her husband (a softened up version of) what she thought -- and Sarah realizes she was laughing at [[AngelUnaware the all-knowing God]]...

* Manabe [[DefiedTrope defies]] this in ''Manga/KotouraSan'' Episode 7 by not telling anybody else about his plans since his girlfriend is a [[{{Telepathy}} telepath]] who should not know his BigSecret until TheReveal. Afterwards, he [[DiscussedTrope admits this]] as the reason behind his suspicious behavior to work around her PowerIncontinence issue, and quite literally at that.

* Occurred in the first issue of the ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' Zero Hour reboot, where Live Wire, upon meeting Saturn Girl, had a number of embarrassing thoughts about her before noticing the Saturn insignia that marked her as a Titanian telepath. In a later issue he starts daydreaming about her while actually on Titan and ''surrounded'' by telepaths.

* In an early issue of ''Comicbook/GoldDigger'', Gina is introduced to Seance, her father's new apprentice. She's enjoying several naughty thoughts about him when he lets her know that one of his natural magic abilities is reading people's surface thoughts, and he still has no idea how to turn it ''off.''

* Something along these lines happens in ''Literature/{{The Witcher}}'' to Geralt. Because of his time spent with Yennefer, Geralt has become quite capable in handling the ubiquitous ability of sorcerers to read minds, even learning what it feels like when your mind is read. He is also aware that Yennefer loses control of her mind reading when she orgasms. In one scene he fills his thoughts with romantic pleasant imagery after having sex (waterfalls, fields of flowers, etc), unfortunately his mind wanders too far, and he lets slip the thought of him and Yennefer settling down in a cottage, and living like normal villagers/townsfolk. Geralt immediately regrets this and tries to cover it up, but Yennefer caught it, and teases him relentlessly afterwards.

* Mint Blancmanche from ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' is a mind-reader, which lets her manipulate people very easily; in the VideoGame/GalaxyAngel gameverse and its manga retelling, though, her telepathy is more prone to putting her in these situations with crew members. The third game switches it around -- something happens with her powers so that ''she'' is broadcasting her thoughts to the entire crew, including some not-so-nice comments about her fellow Angels.

* Satori from ''[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Subterrenean Animism]]'' is a mindreader, to the point where nobody else will come near her. However, it's a bit of a surprise to the heroines when she's able to listen in on their thoughts -- and in [[KleptomaniacHero Marisa's]] case:

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Occurs occasionally in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', due to the tendency to use a telepathic link for group communication (and Superboy's super-hearing doesn't help either), but subverted in "Infiltration" when Artemis is admiring Superboy:

* The Ultroonian race depicted in ''Series/MyHero'' has mind-reading as an optional extra power. When George uses it, many of the unsettling thoughts he hears are Janet's father constantly imagining killing his wife, and Dr. Piers Crispin thinking about sex while draining a cyst. The worst, perhaps, hearing cousin Arnie declaring of Janet "Boy, is she hot."

* The Literature/{{Animorphs}} morphed into an alien creature that can read minds, and so the four characters who were present at the time were all suddenly thrust into the position of being able to hear all of each other's thoughts -- and, of course, knowing that the others could read their thoughts. The narrating character, Ax, describes the other characters' private thoughts at that moment in much more detail than his own; this is probably explained by the fact that the Animorphs engages in DirectLineToTheAuthor. (Certainly we can assume that Ax's overheard thoughts were just as [[DeusAngstMachina angsty]] as those of the other characters). Marco breaks the tension of the moment by saying:

* Occurred in the first issue of the ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' Zero Hour reboot, where Live Wire, upon meeting Saturn Girl, had a number of embarrassing thoughts about her before noticing the Saturn insignia that marked her as a Titanian telepath. In a later issue he starts daydreaming about her while actually on Titan and ''surrounded'' by telepaths.

* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob--'' [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20100907.html Riboflavin realizes Bob has overheard his tragic origin story.]]

-->Spock (amused tolerance of a stuck-babysitting-elder-brother): Your plans for the next shore leave are no concern of mine, Jim. And [[NoJustNoReaction no, I certainly will not ]]be accompanying you – [[NotDistractedByTheSexy the forms of entertainment offered at Risa holds no appeal for me.]]

-->(Looks like he’s trying to replay exactly what he had thought in the last few moments and apparently rather embarrassed)
-->Kirk (mind voice): Um, you know human thoughts have this habit of going off on weird tangents, right? Especially when things are getting tense…That bit about Risa…
-->Spock (amused tolerance of a stuck-babysitting-elder-brother): Your plans for the next shore leave are no concern of mine, Jim. And no, I certainly will not be accompanying you – the forms of entertainment offered at Risa holds no appeal for me.

* Deliberately invoked in ''Anime/OvermanKingGainer''. When faced with an enemy [[HumongousMecha Overman]] that can read minds (and broadcast them), Gainer throws the pilot off balance by loudly declaring what's ''really'' on his mind: Sara. Of course, that's when the "broadcast" part kicks in, letting ''everybody'' in the entire Exodus know it too(Sara included, of course).

[[folder: Fan Works]]

* In episode 17 of ''Anime/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', this happens to Haruhi when she wonders how Tamaki and Kyouya compliment each other so well. Kyouya, being the Shadow King that he is, repeats back her pondering almost word for word.

--->"I would like you all to know that whatever thoughts of mine you're reading are totally made up. They aren't real."

* The last book of the Wheel of Time series includes a minor subplot about a male and female wizard bonding one another. They then fall in love. As the man reflects that some women are like expensive cloth (pretty but fragile), but his girl is tough like leather, the woman asks, "did you just compare me to...an old strap of leather?"

* Something along these lines happens in ''Literature/{{The Witcher}}'' to Geralt. Because of his time spent with Yennefer Geralt has become quite capable in. Handling the ubiquitous ability of sorccerrors to read minds, even learning what it feels like when your mind is read. He is also aware that Yennefer loses control of her mind reading when she orgasms. Because of that in one scene he fills his thoughts with romantic pleasant imigary after having sex (waterfalls, fields of flowers, etc) unfortunately his mind wanders too far, and he lets slip the thought of him and Yennefer settling down in a cottage, and living like normal villagers/townsfolk. Geralt imediatly regrets this and tries to cover it up, but Yennefer caught it, and teases him relentlessly afterwards.

* The Literature/{{Animorphs}} morphed into an alien creature that can read minds, and so the four characters who were present at the time were all suddenly thrust into the position of being able to hear all of each other's thoughts -- and, of course, knowing that the others could read their thoughts. The narrating character, Ax, describes the other characters' private thoughts at that moment in much more detail than his own; this is probably explained by the fact that the Animorphs engages moderately in the LiteraryAgentHypothesis. (Certainly we can assume that Ax's overheard thoughts were just as [[DeusAngstMachina angsty]] as those of the other characters). Marco breaks the tension of the moment by saying:

* [[http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-05-19 This]] ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' cartoon. In the book, Scott Adams's commentary on the cartoon reads, "It's probably a good idea women don't know what men are thinking most of the time."

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''. Spidey meets Storm, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde, and Jean makes the [[TemptingFate mistake]] of congratulating him on not mentally picturing her naked. [[SchmuckBait Naturally]], this causes him to do so... ''[[OverlyLongGag for the next 3 pages]]'', as she gets progressively more annoyed.

** [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] near the end of the comic. When Liquid executes FOXHOUND's computer hacking specialist for [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovering]] the upcoming [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Shadow Moses terror plot]], Ocelot comments that his partner Eddie will certainly notice. Liquid states that he'll kill him too before suddenly remembering that Eddie's a psychic and therefore will see an ambush coming. Liquid has Mantis, a much more powerful psychic who overpower Eddie's powers, [[SubvertedTrope ambush him instead.]]