History Main / IDidntTellYouBecauseYoudBeUnhappy

* Downplayed example in ''Film/Apollo13'' as the crew of the ''Odyssey'' perform a live broadcast to show how their spacecraft looks on the inside, but because this is now the third mission to land on the Moon all three major TV networks declined to relay the broadcast live to the public, with one exec remarking that going to the Moon is now as exciting as taking a trip to Pittsburgh. NASA doesn't actively lie to the astronauts so much as don't tell them their broadcast is not being shown live, knowing that such knowledge would only bum them out for no reason since there's nothing anyone at NASA can do about it.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', Colette hides [[spoiler:what's happening to her as she's releasing the seals, that she's supposed to [[HeroicSacrifice die]] at the end of the Journey of World Regeneration, and that she's being crystallized by a disease at various points in the story]], all to avoid her companions ([[TheHero Lloyd]] in particular) worrying about her. However, keeping all of this hidden ends up [[DeconstructedTrope coming back to bite her]] when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs. Not telling anyone what's going on doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, and when what Colette is hiding comes to the forefront, the party often has no idea of how to deal with it. Colette ends up making numerous problems worse and [[PoorCommunicationKills nearly dies several times]] as a result, which Lloyd finally [[WhatTheHellHero calls her out on late in the game]].

A common motive for MySecretPregnancy. See also AwfulTruth. Sometimes also a case of IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, if revealing the secret would break up the LoveInterest's current relationship. Often overlaps with LyingToProtectYourFeelings. If the secret is kept successfully, it becomes a case of LetThemDieHappy.

* ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' does this with Yu Ishigami and an old acquaintance of his, Kyoko Ootomo. Kyoko was a friend to Ishigami and, unbeknownst to her, had a boyfriend who was cheating on her and plannign to distribute naughty videos he candidly took of her. Ishigami throttles him for it, but Ootomo comes in at the wrong time and believed that Ishigami was just hurting her boyfriend for no reason. He makes no attempt to explain himself to her or to the rest of the school, justifying his reluctance by saying he doesn't want her to be sad that her boyfriend was such a scumbag. Two years later, she's happy and ignorant like he wanted, but when she ''does'' learn why he did what he did she's rightfully pissed and skeptical.

A common motive for MySecretPregnancy. See also AwfulTruth. Sometimes also a case of IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, if revealing the secret would break up the LoveInterest's current relationship. Often overlaps with LyingToProtectYourFeelings.

* In ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'', nobody told Miyuki about her duty to kill [[spoiler:Tatsuya]] because she was 13 at the time and might have rejected it outright. Also, because knowing about it gave [[UnwittingPawn her more political leverage than anyone in the family was comfortable with]].

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', [[spoiler:Alfred burns a letter from the recently-deceased Rachel, saying that she was going to marry Harvey Dent, in order to keep from further tormenting Bruce/Batman.]]
** And this is pretty much the justification for not making it public that [[spoiler: Harvey Dent went crazy, killed several people and kidnapped Gordon's family, and that the ensuing standoff lead to his death]]. Of course, fancier words were used.

-->'''Loki:''' [[CallingTheOldManOut You could have told me what I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?!]]
-->'''Odin:''' You're my son. I only wanted to protect you from the truth.

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Oreg doesn't tell Ward that [[spoiler: their only option to prevent the villains from getting their hands on the eponymous dragon bones is to kill Oreg, which will make castle Hurog collapse and bury the bones under it.]] This is part of his plan, as he knows Ward would never accept the truth if he wasn't told about it by several people. So he waits until he has Axiel right there, [[spoiler: a half-dwarf, who knows why, exactly, the dragon bones being stolen by the villain would be terrible.]] He then casually mentions what the villains are doing at the moment, and what can be done about it. Ward is not amused that he wasn't told earlier.

* In ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'', this is the reason Natsume is reluctant to tell the Fujiwaras about his problems with youkai and ayakashi - They'd have to live with the fact that he is attacked by invisible monsters every day, and that there's very little they could do about it.

* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', Rika not only doesn't tell Akasaka exactly why he'll regret not going back to Tokyo, in the manga, she actually [[spoiler:cuts the cord of the telephone lines so he can't call the hospital his pregnant wife is at]]. It isn't until Ooishi finds him with Rika on a hill that Akasaka finds out [[spoiler:his wife is dead]]. Rika gives this trope as the reason for not telling him because she knew that he'd fall into such deep despair that he wouldn't be able to help her.
* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', Kotetsu has a problem with disclosing personal issues, even when they have major consequences for others, because he doesn't like worrying people and bothering them with his own problems. This ends up biting him in the ass on a grand scale in the second half of the series.
* In ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'', this is the reason Natsume is reluctant to tell the Fujiwaras about his problems with youkai and ayakashi - They'd have to live with the fact that he is attacked by invisible monsters every day, and that there's very little they could do about it.

* In ''Film/ShaunOfTheDead'', [[spoiler:Shaun's mum doesn't tell him she's a ZombieInfectee because she didn't want him to worry.]] This isn't so much "you'd be unhappy" as "you'd be even more unhappy," though, under [[ZombieApocalypse the circumstances]].

* ''Film/TheMartian''. After discovering that Mark Watney is NotQuiteDead, the NASA administration elects not to tell his crewmates who are on their way back to Earth, as it could prove bad for morale and therefore a dangerous distraction. When the astronauts do get told they are ''not'' happy at having this information withheld from them. Watney himself drops a ClusterFBomb on being told this, despite the entire world listening in on his conversation.

* In Creator/RobinHobb's ''[[Literature/RealmOfTheElderlings Farseer]]'' and ''Tawny Man'' trilogies, Fitz never lets Burrich know he's still alive because Burrich is married to Fitz's former sweetheart Molly and [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy he wants them to be happy]]. [[spoiler: Burrich finds out about fifteen years later, and is understandably upset, but [[CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds he dies]] before Molly finds out, and Molly marries Fitz.]]
* In Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, Sensei hides the reason for his constant guilt from his wife so her innocence won't be tainted by the world's evils.
* Played with in the Creator/IsaacAsimov short story "Liar!", one of several which eventually became the book ''I, Robot''.
** To expand on that, the story focuses on a robot who, through a random fluke, can read people's minds. The robot promptly begins lying to everyone since it is programmed to not harm humans, which means it can't hurt their feelings by telling them an unpleasant truth i.e. that the person they are in love with doesn't return their affections. In the end, Susan Calvin, having been borderline MindRaped by the robot into thinking the painful world around her was AllJustADream, induces a LogicBomb on the robot that would have made [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk]] proud.

* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Dean doesn't want Sam to know that he sold his soul to save him because it would make him unhappy. Sam finds out anyway.
** Actually, this is just a thing Dean does - for example, not telling Sam what he did while soulless (again, Sam finds out anyway). He's still doing it, not just up to season nine, but season ''fifteen'', where they have a dust-up because Dean didn't tell Sam that [[spoiler: Jack]] wasn't expecting to survive what they were doing.
* In one episode of ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', Larry's mother dies while he is shooting a film in New York. No one in his family tells him this because it was actually her dying wish that they not bother him about it. Larry is understandably upset that his mother died, had a funeral, and everyone has moved on- all while he was filming in New York and only just found out about it.
** [[spoiler: He calls her out on this when he meets her in the afterlife.]]

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}''. Too many times used to count.

* In Season 3 of ''Series/TheFlash2014'': Most of the cast decides not to tell Joe about future events that affect his daughter, Iris.

* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', so, ''so'' much. Without this trope, the musical would have no story. However, it's deconstructed in that Mrs Lovett doesn't refrain from telling Sweeney that [[spoiler:his wife Lucy is still alive, but an insane, homeless prostitute]] because she thinks it will upset him; that's just how she tries to square it when everything hits the fan. In reality, it's just as much that she wants him for herself as it is altruistic.

* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', Lord Uther has actually been beset with crippling illness for most of the game. Oswin is aware of the illness from the beginning but doesn't tell main character Hector about it under Uther's orders. Uther knew that Hector would have left Eliwood and Lyn's party and would have spent the rest of his life regretting it if he were told.
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', Colette hides [[spoiler:what's happening to her as she's releasing the seals, that she's supposed to [[HeroicSacrifice die]] at the end of the Journey of World Regeneration, and that she's being crystallized by a disease at various points in the story]], all to avoid her companions ([[TheHero Lloyd]] in particular) worrying about her. However, keeping all of this hidden ends up [[DeconstructedTrope coming back to bite her]] when SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome occurs. Not telling anyone what's going on doesn't mean it isn't going to happen, and when what Colette is hiding comes to the forefront, the party often has no idea of how to deal with it. Colette ends up making numerous problems worse and [[PoorCommunicationKills nearly dies several times]] as a result, which Lloyd finally [[WhatTheHellHero calls her out on late in the game]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' episode "Educating Goofy" has Goofy going back to school to set a good example for Max, but Max thinks he's there to embarrass him and enters in the same spelling bee as him to spite him. Later, when Peg tells him about Goofy's true intentions, Max feels guilty and decides to purposely lose so Goofy can get his diploma. However, P.J. has just told Goofy that Max felt embarrassed because of him and he decides to lose so he wouldn't be humiliated. HilarityEnsues from there.

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'', Rika not only doesn't tell Akasaka exactly why he'll regret not going back to Tokyo, in the manga, she actually [[spoiler:cuts the cord of the telephone lines so he can't call the hospital his pregnant wife is at]]. It isn't until Ooishi finds him with Rika on a hill that Akasaka finds out [[spoiler:his wife is dead]]. Rika gives this trope as the reason for not telling him, because she knew that he'd fall into such deep despair that he wouldn't be able to help her.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

[[folder:FanWorks]]

* There's a ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' alternate-season-four-fanfic where Zachariah edited Dean's memory ''hard'' at some point in the process of bringing him back, so while he's still Dean in all kinds of ways [[OutOfCharacterAlert he has no particular emotional attachment to, for example, Sam or the Impala]], and isn't likely to die for Sam again. Then Zachariah turns up and explains to him that, actually, Dean Winchester broke so badly in Hell that they couldn't bring him back, and he's just someone who was tortured so badly his own identity vanished, and Zachariah just refitted his soul so Sam would have a big brother to keep him stable. Dean eventually buys it, but doesn't tell Sam for exactly this reason.

[[folder:{{Film}}]]

* In ''Film/{{Thor}}'', Odin states this is why he kept Loki's adoption from him since he knew [[YouAreWhatYouHate Loki would hate the knowledge of being a Frost Giant, the swon enemies of Asgard]]. Loki [[GoMadFromTheRevelation went mad when he finds this out.]]

[[folder: Literature]]

** To expand on that, the story focuses on a robot who, through a random fluke, can read peoples minds. The robot promptly begins lying to everyone since it is programmed to not harm humans, which means it can't hurt their feelings by telling them an unpleasant truth i.e. that the person they are in love with doesn't return their affections. In the end, Susan Calvin, having been borderline MindRaped by the robot into thinking the painful world around her was AllJustADream, induces a LogicBomb on the robot that would have made [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk]] proud.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' episode "Baywatch Down Under". Jake learns that his ex-wife didn't tell him she had become pregnant with his child before divorcing him, because she felt he needed to be free and didn't want him to feel obliged to stay with her.

** Actually, this is just a thing Dean does - for example, not telling Sam what he did while soulless (again, Sam finds out anyway). He's still doing it, not just up to season nine, but season ''fifteen'', where they have a dust up because Dean didn't tell Sam that [[spoiler: Jack]] wasn't expecting to survive what they were doing.

[[folder: Theater]]
* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', so, ''so'' much. Without this trope, the musical would have no story. However, it's deconstructed in that Mrs Lovett doesn't refrain from telling Sweeney that [[spoiler:his wife Lucy is still alive, but an insane, homeless prostitute]] because she thinks it will upset him; that's just how she tries to square it when everything hits the fan. In reality it's just as much that she wants him for herself as it is altruistic.

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', Lord Uther has actually been beset with crippling illness for most of the game. Oswin is aware of the illness from the beginning, but doesn't tell main character Hector about it under Uther's orders. Uther knew that Hector would have left Eliwood and Lyn's party and would have spent the rest of his life regretting it if he were told.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode "Peggy's Headache" features Peggy finally figuring out that Nancy has been having an affair with John Redcorn for years and Joseph is actually John's biological son. She plans on revealing all of this to Dale, but before she can she witnesses a sweet bonding moment between Dale and Joseph. Realizing telling the truth would ruin the family as well as Dale and Joseph's father-son relationship, she decides to keep quiet like Hank and everyone else.
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Green Isn't Your Color" features three instances of this trope at once. On one hand, Rarity is jealous of Fluttershy when she becomes a famous fashion model, but is afraid to tell her because she encouraged Fluttershy to do it in the first place; on the other hand, Fluttershy actually hates being a model, but keeps doing it because she doesn't want to let Rarity down. Twilight, meanwhile, is more than happy to reveal the truth to the two, but both make her promise not to tell the other, and Pinkie Pie convinces her that breaking promises and losing your friends' trust is the fastest way to lose a friend ''[[BigWordShout FOREVER]]''.
* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode "Roller Cowards" has [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick being afraid of going on a new roller-coaster they were hyped up about, but couldn't bear to tell each other to they wouldn't be disappointed in each other.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Gaimon has spent twenty years driving people away from a set of treasure chests he himself has been unable to reach and open. Luffy agrees to retrieve them for an ecstatic Gaimon only to suddenly declare he's not going to bring them down after all. Gaimon bursts into tears and thanks Luffy for trying to spare his feelings on learning the treasure chests were empty the entire time.