History Main / TheBeCarefulSpeech

* In ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]]'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek.
** Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

-->Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."

* In ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]]'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sally tells Lightning [=McQueen=] this when he's about to compete in a race.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."
[[/folder]]

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek. Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

-->'''Luero:''' Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sally tells Lightning [=McQueen=] this when he's about to compete in a race.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."
[[/folder]]

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek. Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

-->'''Luero:''' Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

* In GreekMythology, Daedalus makes wings of feathers and wax so he and his son can escape from prison. He warns his son, Icarus, not to fly too close to the sun which would melt the wax. [[spoiler: Icarus doesn't take the advice.]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sally tells Lightning [=McQueen=] this when he's about to compete in a race.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."
[[/folder]]

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek. Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

-->'''Luero:''' Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

--> '''Neal Caffrey:''' Hey, keep your eye on the prize, okay? This is serious. Stanzler doesn't mess around. And remember, backup is ten seconds away, so--
--> '''Peter Burke:''' You don't give me [[TropeNamer the "be careful" speech.]] I ''invented'' the "be careful" speech.

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek.
** Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

* In the ''Series/{{Numb3rs}}'' episode "Uncertainty Principle", Charlie gives one of these to Don, when he's about to go after armed bank robbers.

* In ''SensibleKate'' by Doris Gates, Vic and the other fisherman warn Vic's brother, Leo, not to go out fishing during a storm. [[spoiler: Leo doesn't listen, and never comes back.]]

* Many people tell Miles to be careful in Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's Literature/{{Vorkosigan|Saga}} novels. [[spoiler:Occasionally, he even listens to them.]]

* In GreekMythology, Daedalus makes wings of feathers and wax so he and his son can escape from prison. He warns his son, Icarus, not to fly too close to the sun which would melt the wax. [[spoiler: Icarus doesn't take the advice.]]

-->Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

-> '''Neal Caffrey:''' Hey, keep your eye on the prize, okay? This is serious. Stanzler doesn't mess around. And remember, backup is ten seconds away, so--\\
'''Peter Burke:''' You don't give me [[TropeNamer the "be careful" speech.]] I ''invented'' the "be careful" speech.

* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."

* Many people tell Miles to be careful in Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/{{Vorkosigan|Saga}}'' novels. [[spoiler:Occasionally, he even listens to them.]]

* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek. Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.

-->'''Luero:''' Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

[[folder:Films]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sally tells Lightning [=McQueen=] this when he's about to compete in a race.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'': Sally tells Lightning [=McQueen=] this when he's about to compete in a race.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hermione explicitly tells the title protagonist, "Do be careful."
[[/folder]]

* In ''Literature/SensibleKate'' by Doris Gates, Vic and the other fisherman warn Vic's brother, Leo, not to go out fishing during a storm. [[spoiler: Leo doesn't listen, and never comes back.]]

--> '''Neal Caffrey:''' Hey, keep your eye on the prize, okay? This is serious. Stanzler doesn't mess around. And remember, backup is ten seconds away, so--
--> '''Peter Burke:''' You don't give me [[TropeNamer the "be careful" speech.]] I ''invented'' the "be careful" speech.
-->-- ''WhiteCollar'', "Power Play"

[[folder:Film]]

* In HarryPotterandtheSorcerersStone, Hermione explicitly tells the titular protagonist, "Do be careful."

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* The TropeNamer is the ''Series/WhiteCollar'' episode "Power Play". Neal and Peter have to [[SwappedRoles switch identities]], meaning Peter is the one who has to pull off a heist while working undercover for the VillainOfTheWeek.
** Peter is usually giving these, which Neal cheerfully... creatively reinterprets.
* The [[Series/{{Doctor Who}} Doctor]] gives his companions (and just about everyone else he meets) this speech all the time. The companions also frequently feel the need to give the Doctor the same speech. It usually doesn't help much.
* Sergeant Phil Esterhaus in ''HillStreetBlues'' was famous for ending each briefing to the officers with these words: "Let's be careful out there."
* In the ''{{Numb3rs}}'' episode "Uncertainty Principle", Charlie gives one of these to Don, when he's about to go after armed bank robbers.

* In Felix Salten's ''Literature/{{Bambi}}'', Bambi's mother warns him that "walking on the meadow is not so simple. It's a difficult and dangerous business." She instructs him to run if he sees her run, or "...even if something should happen...even if (you) should see me fall to the ground..." [[spoiler: Which of course, eventually, he does.]]

* Lampshaded in Elizabeth Enright's ''TheSaturdays'', in which the Melendy children correctly predict what their father and housekeeper will caution them to do and not to do when they go into New York City independently.
* In Erle Stanley Gardner's PerryMason novels, Della Street (his secretary), Paul Drake (his private investigator), and Lt. Tragg (a homicide detective), all often advise him to be careful to avoid arrest or disbarment. [[spoiler: He listens about as often as the Doctor does.]]
* In ''SensibleKate'' by Doris Gates, Vic and the other fisherman warn Vic's brother, Leo, not to go out fishing during a storm. [[spoiler: Leo doesn't listen, and never comes back.]]

* Many people tell Miles to be careful in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan novels. [[spoiler: Occasionally, he even listens to them.]]

[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

-->Be careful. Think things through. I won't always be able to protect you.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Sally tells [[WesternAnimation/{{Cars}} Lightning McQueen]] this when he's about to compete in a race.
[[/folder]]
This trope is in serious need of expansion.

* In Creator/RobertHeinlein's ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'', one of Johnny's superiors warns him that he'd better not be trying to earn any medals as he goes into combat.

* In Felix Salten's ''{{Bambi}}'', Bambi's mother warns him that "walking on the meadow is not so simple. It's a difficult and dangerous business." She instructs him to run if he sees her run, or "...even if something should happen...even if (you) should see me fall to the ground..." [[spoiler: Which of course, eventually, he does.]]

* In RobertHeinlein's ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'', one of Johnny's superiors warns him that he'd better not be trying to earn any medals as he goes into combat.

* In "AladdinOrTheWonderfulLamp", from ''TheArabianNights'', the wicked magician cautions Aladdin not to touch the walls of the enchanted cave he is about to enter, or he will die.
* In LewisCarroll's "{{Jabberwocky}}", the hero's father warns,"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch. Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!"

--> '''Neal:''' Hey, keep your eye on the prize, okay? This is serious. Stanzler doesn't mess around. And remember, backup is ten seconds away, so--
--> '''Peter:''' You don't give me [[TropeNamer the "be careful" speech.]] I ''invented'' the "be careful" speech.

* Sally tells [[{{Cars}} Lightning McQueen]] this when he's about to compete in a race.

* In Greek mythology, Daedalus makes wings of feathers and wax so he and his son can escape from prison. He warns his son, Icarus, not to fly too close to the sun which would melt the wax. [[spoiler: Icarus doesn't take the advice.]]

* Aunt Zelda gives this to Literature/SeptimusHeap when he's about to fly the dragon boat for the second time. He ends up saying "Aunt Zelda, we'll be ''fine''. Really.".