History Main / ThoughtCrime

* ''Film/THX1138'', which is ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''-esque.

Whenever a {{dystopia}}n government tries to control the speech and actions of its citizens, it'll label what it considers dissent as Thoughtcrime, and take whatever steps needed to quell Thoughtcrime, by every means possible. The clever trick here, since in most stories the government has no access to these thoughts, is that it trains the oppressed to oppress ''themselves'' via internalizing what is seen as disapproved thought.

Of course, by inherent nature, trying to not think what they forbid you to think about [[ThoughtAversionFailure will always fail]] - and expect one or two citizens to be trapped by this thought process and then get captured by the SecretPolice (or worse) for their "trouble". Taken to extremes, this may lead to ''everyone'' getting punished.

Naturally, when no one [[WhoWatchesTheWatchmen is allowed to guard the guards]], the guards abuse their power left, right and center. Add to that the fact that no person or organization on this earth is capable of getting everything right, and [[DontShootTheMessage even the best-intentioned crimethink laws]] end up convincing people that their purpose is to keep the masses from [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]].

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* ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. Under The Computer's rule every citizen is required to be happy. Anyone who isn't happy is a traitor and can be punished, such as by being required to take drugs that ''make'' you happy.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': The third [[AlternateHistory Lostbelt]] is one where Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, achieved immortality and conquered the world. He did achieve world peace, but only because the humans living there are kept illiterate, have no concept of family, and aren't allowed to venture outside of their villages. If any person shows signs of "[[InsistentTerminology Confucianism]]", which is to say learning how to read, making art that doesn't worship the emperor, or leaving their village to explore, Qin Shi Huang's response is a ColonyDrop that wipes out their entire village.

* A certain Todd Nickerson has made some videos where he admits to being a pedophile. Despite making it clear he doesn't want to be this way and [[WouldntHurtAChild never intends to actually molest a kid]], a lot of people still hate him just for having such urges in the first place. The same reaction has occurred when other comments that could be called "positive" about pedophiles/pedophilia are made, even if simply "That person is good for not acting on their urges" or "Therapy should be provided for them" and "maybe we can find a cure". Cue many suggestions that the cure for pedophilia is [[KillEmAll death]]. Anything other than just stating condemnation, for some, seems to be unforgivable.

* [[PsychicPowers Psionically]] Ascended empires in ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' will be (when the Nemesis DLC will be released, introducing espionage mechanics) able to pass the "Thought Enforcement" edict. The FlavorText for it is as follows: "Telepaths monitoring the citizenry for incorrect thoughts will make corrections as they find them".

* A mundane variant comes from the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "The Happiness Patrol", where [[HappinessIsMandatory enforced cheerfulness was the law]] on the planet Terra Alpha.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist Time Heist]]", the Bank of Karabraxos' chief of surveillance is a psychic with the power to detect guilty thoughts, and can pinpoint the nature of those thoughts at close range. Since the [[MorallyBankruptBanker Bank of Karabraxos]] ''is'' [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem the government of Karabraxos]] (and the planet Karabraxos itself), they are legally within 'rights' to MindRape those found guilty of having guilty thoughts and incarcerate their families.

Overlaps with CulturePolice. Compare with TheHeretic, for a religious equivalent. Related to TheEvilsOfFreeWill. In more nuanced stories, some of these guys sincerely believe they're using BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood. For others, it's just business as usual. As a means of propaganda, if the methods combating Thoughtcrime are known to the public, the government (or their corporate benefactors) might attempt to paint it in a lighter vein by calling them EnhancedInterrogationTechniques. PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad often occurs when a free, democratic society is the one that tries to codify such rules.

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* At least one street sign seen in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and elsewhere in the 1980s read "Don't even ''think'' about parking here!" Music/{{Weird Al|Yankovic}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQRqXPJzXBY objects]].

* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher2099'': When Dr. Doom puts the Punisher in charge of the police force, he starts prosecuting people for having criminal impulses.

* ''Film/THX1138'', which is ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''-esque.

* In the short story "Literature/HarrisonBergeron", being ''smarter'' than another person is outlawed, and smart people must wear devices to disrupt their thoughts lest they take advantage of others with their intelligence (naturally, the Handicapper General is very intelligent, and [[{{Hypocrisy}} free of this impediment]] to do her duties).

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' had an episode where they came across a people who were extremely telepathic, so sensitive that any extreme emotions would incite them to act out on those feelings; having violent thoughts was a crime in and of itself. Torres was put on trial for having a brief violent thought when someone bumped into her, and Tuvok's investigation into the planet's culture found a sort of "violent thoughts" BlackMarket. Of course it examined the issue that when something was so taboo, it meant their own people were unable to handle it when confronted with the situation.
* In ''Series/BabylonFive'' the [[SecretPolice Nightwatch]] organization was set up to report not just actions, but potentially seditious attitudes (as could be "inferred" from casual remarks and such) among Earth Alliance personnel and citizens. [[spoiler: As Earth Alliance [[SlidingScaleOfLibertarianismAndAuthoritarianism slid further into despotism]], it is mentioned that [[MutantDraftBoard PsiCorps]] was routinely used by the Clark dictatorship to telepathically scan for supposedly seditious (anti-regime) thoughts.]]

* ''Series/TheLWord'': Tasha believes even thinking of cheating is cheating. Later it comes back on her when she's attracted to Jamie, as her girlfriend Alice notes.

* Some scriptures of Literature/TheBible point out that thinking of a sin is just as bad as doing it in God's eyes. For example, a literal reading of the commandment "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife" would indicate that the proscription is not merely against the ''act'' of adultery, but the very thought or feeling of envy. Indeed, the Book of Matthew in Literature/TheFourGospels states that a man who lusts after a woman "hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

* ''TabletopGame/{{Mindjammer}}'': The Core Worlds of the Commonality ban memes like [[OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions religion]], {{democracy|IsBad}}, {{capitalism|IsBad}}[[note]]though they allow [[MegaCorp Corporacies]] to run ramp shod over the Periphery[[/note]], etc. And thanks to the Mindscape they actually can tell what you're thinking, though how they keep memes from spreading when people can upload their memories directly into an interstellar internet is unclear.

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''[='=]s 4U City enforced mandatory happiness with involuntary drugging. And mandatory efficiency with mandatory drugging. And so on. The alternative was to be thrown down a judgement chute.

* While there are laws that make Holocaust denial illegal and punishable in Germany, it is actually considered a special case of hate speech, even without making any statements about the victims. As such, it becomes only a crime when addressed to a public audience. Private conversation or correspondence is not affected, even when overheard by bystanders.

* For several decades, in many European and Anglophone jurisdictions, murder has been punished more severely if it was premeditated. Such jurisdictions often classify murder under different categories (like the UsefulNotes/ThreeDegreesOfMurder in UsefulNotes/AmericanCourts), which carry different sentences, and premeditation affects the sentencing if the defendant is found guilty.
* Strangely averted with British laws regarding homosexuality. All of these laws were about men having relationships with other men, with no mention made of lesbian or bisexual women; this was because the government actually thought that if they changed the law and made lesbianism illegal, then they would be introducing the concept of lesbianism to the public and thus giving "innocent women" the idea that it was possible. This still had the intended effect, however, with many women being unable to safely come out and some even feeling pressured to marry men anyway.
* The Khmer Rouge, among their many crimes against humanity and DisproportionateRetribution, made certain thoughts punishable by death in their campaign to reset Cambodia to "{{year zero}}." This included thinking about the past, holding any religious beliefs, showing too much individuality,[[note]]like eating by yourself[[/note]] or showing any attachment to Western ideals.
* Following the Charlie Hebdo massacre (cartoonists and journalists who were killed by Islamic terrorists) in France on January 7, 2015, which caused the memetic message "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie") to spread on the Internet as a way of defending free speech, journalist [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW3vil_cJ7I Nathalie Saint-Cricq]] proposed, on public television, to 'spot and treat' schoolchildren who "were not Charlie". This didn't just include those who made genuine apologies for terrorism/religious extremism, but also those who expressed doubts about the message, criticized what the cartoonists did before they were killed or didn't respect moments of silence. This was [[{{Irony}} horribly ironic]] in defense of people who were murdered for "thoughtcrime" essentially themselves.
* "Gay conversion therapy" seeks to extinguish homosexuality, whether the subject has engaged in any sexual behavior or not.
* A certain Todd Nickerson has made some videos where he admits to being a pedophile. Despite making it clear he doesn't want to be this way and [[WouldntHurtAChild never intends to actually molest a kid]], a lot of people still hate him just for having such urges in the first place. The same reaction has occurred when other comments that could be called "positive" about pedophiles/pedophilia are made, even if simply "That person is good for not acting on their urges" or "Therapy should be provided for them" and "maybe we can find a cure". Cue many suggestions that the cure for pedophilia is [[KillEmAll death]]. Anything other than just stating condemnation, for some, seems to be unforgivable.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Mindjammer}}'': The Core Worlds of the Commonality ban memes like [[OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions religion]], [[DemocracyIsBad democracy]], capitalism[[note]]though they allow [[MegaCorp Corporacies]] to run ramp shod over the Periphery[[/note]], etc. And thanks to the Mindscape they actually can tell what you're thinking, though how they keep memes from spreading when people can upload their memories directly into an interstellar internet is unclear.

** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist Time Heist]]", the Bank of Karabraxos' chief of surveillance is a psychic with the power to detect guilty thoughts, and can pinpoint the nature of those thoughts at close range. Since the [[MorallyBankruptBanker Bank of Karabraxos]] ''is'' [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem the government Karabraxos]] (and the planet Karabraxos itself), they are legally within 'rights' to MindRape those found guilty of having guilty thoughts and incarcerate their families.

** In DoctorWhoS34E5TimeHeist, the Bank of Karabraxos' chief of surveillance is a psychic with the power to detect guilty thoughts, and can pinpoint the nature of those thoughts at close range. Since the [[MorallyCorruptBanker Bank of Karabraxos]] ''is'' [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem the government Karabraxos]] (and the planet Karabraxos itself), they are legally within 'rights' to MindRape those found guilty of having guilty thoughts and incarcerate their families.

* In FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed, the LemonyNarrator often fears that she is guilty of this, even calling out the [[SecretPolice "Fallacy Police"]] in-text. Of course, it is strongly hinted that her paranoia [[PlayedForLaughs is all just in her mind]].

* ''Film/MinorityReport'': Most of the "crimes" which the Precrime Division stops seem to be this. Suspects are caught in the attempt to commit a murder at times, but many don't even get that far. In the latter case, an ordinary charge of attempted murder could be made. For most though, they're only "crime" is just ''wanting'' to commit a murder, but not actually doing so. They're all detained without trial regardless. Becomes outright dystopian as the convicts, rather than being regularly imprisoned or executed, are ''tortured with footage of the precognition'' every waking moment, all to ensure they ''keep'' the criminal thoughts that got them convicted in the first place.

* At least one street sign seen in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and elsewhere in the 1980s read "Don't even ''think'' about parking here!"

* In ''Anime/PsychoPass'', Japan is an isolated country ruled by the [[BigBrotherIsWatching Sibyl System]], a massive surveillance network that is able to quantify the human mind and anaylse the psychological profile of every single citizen of Japan. This profile is converted into a numerical value, known as a Crime Coefficient. So, if someone has a mental disorder or expresses too much negative emotions, he is either [[HappinessIsMandatory sent to mandatory therapy]], or if the Coefficient is high enough and the subject refuses to get treatment, he is declared a "[[PrecrimeArrest latent criminal]]" and thus eliminated. [[spoiler:Subverted in that the system is composed of the brains of {{sociopath}}s, some of whom are Japan's worst criminals; they were selected for their ability to commit abhorrent violence without any sense of conscience, emotion or afterthought.]]

* In a merge of OrwellianEditor, ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has the higher-ups of Ba Sing Se brainwashing everyone who dares to mention that there's a century-long war going on in the whole world outside the walls. The resident LovableRogue had this inflicted upon him, which [[spoiler:led to his death]].

* In the USA, respectful burning is the recommended method for disposing of old flags. However, many people want to ban flag-burning, when the intent is to protest the government. Thus, the actual crime isn't the burning, it's what you're ''thinking'' while doing it. Do note, though, that the Supreme Court has ruled that flag-burning as a form of protest is Constitutionally protected expression, and hence cannot be outlawed.
** Even more [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement controversially]] the same argument has been made against [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime hate crime]] legislation, since people are not just punished for committing a crime but for what they were thinking while doing it. For instance, assault is already a crime, but assaulting someone because they were ''black'' is a hate crime. So the specific motive is the difference; you can only be charged with a thought crime if it is directly linked to an ''actual'' crime.
* Possession with the intent to _____.
** Slightly averted in the case of "possession with the intent to supply" type crimes, in that you can possess more drugs/weapons/whatever than one person is ever going to need just for themselves (so the idea that you have that much of it so you can give/sell it to other people makes sense). The problem comes in proving that intent when other explanations are still possible.

* In the wake of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in April 1999, a wave of paranoia swept through American schools. Since the root cause of the tragedy was very hard to determine, the MoralGuardians resorted to whatever measures could be devised -- everything from [[TheNewRockAndRoll cracking down on "subversive" student subcultures]] to urging bullies or would-be bullies to refrain from [[MuggingTheMonster tormenting potentially psychotic outcasts]]. Among the worst excesses were examples of PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad (the possibly apocryphal suspension of a student for biting one of his cafeteria chicken nuggets into the shape of a gun and pointing it at other students) and censorship of any form of expression deemed "dark" or violent - even if it was wholly fictional.
* Comes up a lot when something goes wrong and is blamed on [[NewMediaAreEvil new media]], [[TheNewRockAndRoll video games]] or the like.
* Conspiracy to commit a crime. In some jurisdictions, a person can be punished and incarcerated for the act of plotting an illegal act -- even if they never carry it out! (They must have performed at least one overt act "in furtherance of the conspiracy" but that can be virtually anything-for instance legally buying a gun to commit a murder, but not actually using it.) Conspiracy law is where thought crime starts to bump into the (on its face) perfectly reasonable goal of police forces and the government to stop crimes like mass murder and theft before they are committed and cause harm to people (by allowing cops to intervene earlier instead of having to wait until the crime is actually carried out). The tension is prevalent throughout judicial opinions on the subject.