History Main / TheWorldIsNotReady

* In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', this is the reason that the Astro-Naut gave for not sharing his technological discoveries with the United States government -- he had battled enough PlanetLooters before that he feared ''humans'' would do the same thing to other worlds.

** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone the first book]], Hagrid answers Harry's question about this with: "Everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems." (Hmm, [[DoubleStandard is it still okay]] for ''wizards'' to acquire those magic solutions from other wizards? Right then.) The question is never raised again for the rest of the books. It is worth noting that magic is the only real defense against supernatural predators, some of which prey on humans (an entire branch of the Ministry is devoting to keeping said predators from breaking the{{Masquerade}})... [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and it makes the housework a lot easier]].

* In the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone first book]] of the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, Hagrid answers Harry's question about this with: "Everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems." (Hmm, [[DoubleStandard is it still okay]] for ''wizards'' to acquire those magic solutions from other wizards? Right then.) The question is never raised again for the rest of the books. It is worth noting that magic is the only real defense against supernatural predators, some of which prey on humans. (An entire branch of the Ministry is devoting to keeping said predators from breaking TheMasquerade.) [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And it makes the housework a lot easier.]]

*** The fearful reactions of the Muggles are justified and demonstrated in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix fifth book]] when Dudley, a Muggle teenager, gets attacked by a Dementor, the Harry Potter equivalent of a soul eater. Dudley is predictably mentally scarred by this and does a [[HeelFaceTurn turnabout]] in treating Harry and accepting the existence of wizards... but only after being brought home from the attack in a shell-shocked-like state... and if Harry hadn't saved him he flat-out would have DIED.
*** The [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince sixth book]] clearly states that the English Prime Minister, for one, has had TheMasquerade revealed to him. This implies that other world leaders are also kept informed of the wizarding world.

** Also shown in the premiere of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' when Magister Labrid tried to stop the Forever Knights from obtaining alien laser lances which were above Earth's technology level. His reasons are shown when one knight attempted to use a damaged lance on Labrid and Kevin, only to be blown to bits.

** Gyro Gearloose makes many more inventions than people know. People don't know because if he thinks they're dangerous he'll destroy the prototype and destroy the blueprints. He originally dealt with the blueprints by ''throwing them in the thrash'', as pretty much nobody can understand them, but after a case of a MadScientist being smart enough to do just that fished one of his dangerous blueprints from the thrash...

* [[BlackAndNerdy Steve Urkel]] creates amazing inventions on ''Series/FamilyMatters'' ranging from a cloning machine to a teleportation pad to a transformation chamber to a time machine. He avoids releasing them to the public because he's concerned about what could happen if they got into the wrong hands. It's {{Justified}} when he's targeted by criminals who want to use his inventions for their own gain.

* After the events of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'', this is the train of thought concerning the power of the Psycho-Frame, given that the Unicorn Gundam itself proved itself so powerful at the end that it began messing with reality.

-->-- '''Norman Johnson''', ''Film/{{Sphere}}''

* In ''Fanfic/WhatYouAlreadyKnow: Resolutions'', Daniel's new psychic abilities allow him to confirm that Earth isn't ready to learn the truth about the Stargate Program when his precognitive abilities give him a vision of what would happen if billionaire Alec Colson exposed the existence of the SGC. Based on Daniel's vision (which have always been accurate unless Daniel and his allies take action to avert them), riots would break out as people blamed the government for bringing alien threats to Earth, resulting in martial law being declared, the SGC itself being destroyed under unclear circumstances, and the Replicators overrunning the entire galaxy.

However, the trope is not ''automatically'' unreasonable. It is possible to conceive of specific situations where the genie, in whatever form, could be put back into the bottle, and under the current circumstances such would be wise. The secret keepers may in fact be ''right all along'', with disastrous consequences ensuing if the knowledge becomes common. If the people who get their hands on use the knowledge use it for violence, crime or conquest, then [[JerkassHasAPoint the supposed jerkasses who were keeping the secret actually had a point.]] Even if it isn't actively abused, advanced knowledge without a proper understanding of its background concepts or the infrastructure to properly apply it is can be a dangerous thing. Without the right tools, materials, training, and study, the you'll learn the hard way that the line between "rocket to the moon" and "giant bomb" is very thin.

* [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Ms. Yutani]] and her henchmen at the end of ''Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem'', on the Predator gun they salvaged; "The world isn't ready for this technology. But it isn't ''for'' this world, is it, Ms. Yutani?"

* In ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'', this trope is Kyril's justification for [[{{Masquerade}} concealing]] the [[AlienBlood Old Blood]], plus anything related to the [[EldritchAbomination Great Ones]]. Initially, he is also reluctant to interfere in Eostian affairs, because [[spoiler:he doesn't wish for the [[GoMadFromTheRevelation madness and depravity]] that arises from the [[ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow Eldritch Truth]] he holds]]. [[JustifiedTrope His words carry a lot of weight]] when readers who played ''VideoGame/BloodBorne'' before know how Yharnam has been ruined beyond repair as a result of people misusing and exploiting the gifts of the Great Ones, which makes his goal to prevent history from repeating itself a more noble one than other instances of this trope in fiction.

* The basis of the Prime Directive in ''Franchise/StarTrek''.
** One episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' ends on this for an alien world with the government deciding that their people are not ready for space exploration or the knowledge of aliens because of the reaction of a cabinet member.

* In the first book of the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series, Hagrid answers Harry's question about this with: "Everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems." (Hmm, [[DoubleStandard is it still okay]] for ''wizards'' to acquire those magic solutions from other wizards? Right then.) The question is never raised again for the rest of the books. It is worth noting that magic is the only real defense against supernatural predators, some of which prey on humans. (An entire branch of the Ministry is devoting to keeping said predators from breaking TheMasquerade.) [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And it makes the housework a lot easier.]]

*** The fearful reactions of the Muggles are justified and demonstrated in the fifth book when Dudley, a Muggle teenager, gets attacked by a Dementor, the Harry Potter equivalent of a soul eater. Dudley is predictably mentally scarred by this and does a [[HeelFaceTurn turnabout]] in treating Harry and accepting the existence of wizards... but only after being brought home from the attack in a shell-shocked-like state... and if Harry hadn't saved him he flat-out would have DIED.
*** The sixth book clearly states that the English Prime Minister, for one, has had TheMasquerade revealed to him. This implies that other world leaders are also kept informed of the wizarding world.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** Whether or not the world actually is ready is not as open to discussion as it should have been, given that in the Aschen timeline in "2010", the Stargate's existence was publicly revealed and people just treated it as another form of public transport. But the main-timeline SGC never learned anything about that timeline other than that they must not go to the Aschen homeworld, so they had no way of knowing this.

** "Deathwalker" A notorious Dilgar war criminal has a medication that will give a person immortality. She later sadistically reveals that the essential components [[PoweredByAForsakenChild come from other beings of sapient species]]. Thus she intends to throw the various civilizations into murderous chaos in revenge. However, just as she is transported to Earth to give her medication and carry out her revenge, a Vorlon ship suddenly appears and destroys her ship, her and her medication. When the Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, is asked why that was done, he simply responds "You are not ready for immortality". [[FridgeLogic Of course]], it also denied everyone the opportunity to study the process and do research that could have ''eliminated'' that flaw. And considering how the Vorlons ended up treating the younger races, it could be a case of "we don't want you to have what makes ''us'' special."

* The Fourth Doctor of ''Series/DoctorWho'' once told the tale of the planet Minos. The Time Lords of Gallifrey, being a young race then, decided to help out the primitive planet Minos by instructing them in science and technology. The Minosans responded by kicking the Time Lords out at gunpoint then engaging in a nuclear war that reduced their homeworld to an asteroid belt. After that the Time Lords put their [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]] in place.
** In the Series 5 two-parter 'The Hungry Earth'/'Cold Blood', a plan for the Silurians, the original reptilian inhabitants of the Earth, to re-emerge gets postponed for this reason. Considering that peace talks between them and the humans had broken down because of the murder of [=POWs=] and both sides claim equal right to ownership of the surface, this is probably one of the more justified examples. The Doctor also puts into motion a plan to ''make'' the world ready, by asking the humans to spread the message of the Silurians' return in 1,000 years.
** In a more mundane example, an episode set in 1969 features an FBI agent thrown out of the service because of who he wants to marry. After he helps save the world, President [[UsefulNotes/RichardNixon Nixon]] concludes that she must be black and says he might be able to help with the legal issue, since the US seems to be ready for mixed-race marriage. The ex-agent then corrects him, saying ''he'' is black. Nixon decides that landing on the moon is far enough.

* In ''{{Series/Dollhouse}}'' this is the reason given for why their technology is so very [[MisappliedPhlebotinum misused]]. Not that, frankly, they seem particularly ready for the tech themselves.
** [[spoiler: As it turns out in ''Epitaph One'' they're absolutely right and the widespread use of their technology destroyed civilization. As Echo put it:]]
--> [[spoiler: Kids playing with matches. And they burnt the house down.]]

* In ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode featuring ''Film/{{Avalanche}}'', Jonah and the Bots buy out so many names for ''Film/Sharknado''-type movie title for the sole reason of preventing their usage in making crappy movies.

* This trope is used profusely by the Knights Templar/Abstergo Industries in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed''. They believe that if humans ever found out the truth about the Isu AKA Those Who Came Before, there will be world wide panic.

However, the trope is not ''automatically'' unreasonable. It is possible to conceive of specific situations where the genie, in whatever form, could be put back into the bottle, and under the current circumstances such would be wise. The secret keepers may in fact be ''right all along'', with disastrous consequences ensuing if the knowledge becomes common. If the people who get their hands on use the knowledge use it for violence, crime or conquest, then [[JerkassHasAPoint the supposed jerkasses who were keeping the secret actually had a point.]] Even if it isn't actively abused, advanced knowledge without a proper understanding of the its background concepts or the infrastructure to properly apply it is a dangerous situation. Without the right tools, materials, training, and study, the you'll learn the hard way that the line between "rocket to the moon" and "giant bomb" is very thin.

However, the trope is not ''automatically'' unreasonable. It is possible to conceive of specific situations where the genie, in whatever form, could be put back into the bottle, and under the current circumstances such would be wise. The secret keepers may in fact be ''right all along'', with disastrous consequences ensuing if the knowledge becomes common. If the people who get their hands on use the knowledge use it for violence, crime or conquest, then [[JerkassHasAPoint the supposed jerkasses who were keeping the secret actually had a point.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'', the above explanation is the reason MIB stores so much alien hardware: the public is just not ready for it. They even date each item down to the year for when the world ''will'' be ready.

* ''Manga/ShoukokuNoAltair'': Guns, since it's set in the 15th century. Prince Beyazit brings back some firearms from the Orient which he uses to end the Turkish civil war, but later destroys them because he's afraid of the fact that they will change warfare forever. Prince Ismail points out, however, that he's merely delaying the inevitable.

* In recent ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' comics, Diet Smith tells Tracy that he has become more and more reticent over the years to share his biggest scientific discoveries, because [[GenreSavvy criminals have stolen his inventions and used them for evil purposes so many times over course of the comic.]] In particular, this is Diet's (in-universe) excuse for mothballing all the [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Moon technology.]] In RealLife, the reason these elements were removed from the strip was that Chester Gould's successor as writer, Max Allen Collins, considered the strip's Moon Period a massive DorkAge and preferred to ignore it. The current writer, Mike Curtis, is a fan of the Moon Period and has brought some of the Moon stuff back, but also gave Diet the above-mentioned explanation for his previous behavior.

* After his invention opens a gateway between the fictional world of Television and the real world causing [[HilarityEnsues hilarity to ensue]], Professor Bonkers feels this way about his own genius in ''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow''.

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': When Dipper takes it upon himself to show the tourists of Gravity Falls some ''real'' magic, they end up [[MindRape traumatized]] by the DeadlyGaze of a massive [[MixAndMatchCritter Gremlobin]] showing them their worst nightmares.

* {{Deconstructed}} in a side-quest in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok''. A lineage of Light Elves hid away a library in Alfheim containing secrets from the elves' past, before [[spoiler:their separation into light and darkness]], under the justification of protecting their kind of what that information would bring, which only helped to perpetuate their ForeverWar. After defeating and sparing the life of the Maven who tried to stop him from taking a book from there, Kratos lectures her about how to believe that such knowledge would destroy the Light Elves from within is to lack faith in the people who would most benefit from it.

** The fact that Mycroft Canner is still alive and mostly at large (though under supervision) is also something everyone in the know is sworn to keep a secret, cosidering the terror everyone was experiencing all over the world during the two weeks of his murder rampage. Nobody quite knows what would happen should the public find out that Mycroft was not, in fact, executed on the spot. As story progress shows, the fears of the world's leaders are not unreasonable: [[spoiler:Once Mycroft's situation becomes knows, riots break out in the streets worldwide and random Servicers are lynched by mobs because from afar they vaguely look like Mycroft Canner.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': At the end of "The Itchy & Scarcthy & Poochie Show", Homer is distraught when Poochie proves to be unpopular on ''Itchy & Scratchy'' and gets [[DroppedABridgeOnHim written out]] [[BusCrash in a most humiliating fashion]], so his kids try to cheer him up.
-->'''Bart:''' Tough break, Dad. I guess people just weren't ready for Poochie. Maybe in a few years.

[[folder:Film]]