%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%
%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1571530833092946500
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/RoomiesItsWalkyJoyceAndWalky https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/20031107a.png]]]]

->''"If you gotta ask, you'll never know."''
-->-- '''Music/LouisArmstrong''', defining {{Jazz}}

This trope occurs when one character asks for information and another character simply refuses. TheOnlyWayTheyWillLearn is to discover the answer for themselves. Just ''telling'' them would defeat the purpose.

This trope is often used by TheMentor and its subtropes. It is all fine and dandy to teach them how to do whatever it is that they teach, but the student eventually has to find their own answers. The TricksterMentor [[LovesSecrecy enjoys]] [[DelightingInRiddles keeping him in the dark]], of course, but also because it would mean nothing if they just ''told'' the student the solution to the mystery. Likewise, the ZenSurvivor works exactly like this, because some things cannot be explained, only ''realized'' and ''understood''.

If the person is TheChooserOfTheOne it may be a test to see if the character is in fact worthy of the title of chosen one. It could also be that finding the CallReceptionArea is part of how one proves their worth to the SwordOfPlotAdvancement in the center of it; being told how to get there instantly disqualifies them.

In other cases, characters who really shouldn't have any motives to [[PoorCommunicationKills keep this information secret]] from the character do this. Though they frequently claim that making the hero work through things by himself is a necessary learning experience, it may be just because the writers need to pad out the season.

It is commonly uttered by [[TimeTravel Time Travellers]] since solving people's problems for them would change history... [[TimeyWimeyBall except when it doesn't]] or [[YouAlreadyChangedThePast already has]], [[TimeCrash or makes everything implode]]. TimeTravel is funny that way. So no straight-answers from your future-self, or whatever.

An OracularUrchin will get out of de-cryptifying their CrypticConversation this way. Likewise heroes and super heroes with a SecretLegacy might be overjoyed to find out they're not the black sheep of their family, but wonder why mom and dad never helped out before.

This trope is used in almost exactly the same places and situations as "YouAreNotReady", with the implication that [[OnlySmartPeopleMayPass the act of working the information out is the only way to make yourself worthy of it]]. This is the intellectual version of HelpingWouldBeKillStealing. See BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible for characters trying to avoid incrimination. Often couched within a CrypticConversation. Can cross over with ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself, if these mentors prevent others from aiding the hero. Compare NeverGiveTheCaptainAStraightAnswer. See also SinkOrSwimMentor.

----
!!Example:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* At no point in ''Manga/{{AIKI}}'' does Kunitoshi ever give a straightforward lesson on anything. The most he does is tell you when you've screwed up. On the other hand, should someone manage to get started on their own, he ''does'' give them legitimate advice on the next steps.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Soken Ishida refuses to explain his son [[HeroicNeutral Ryuken's]] RefusalOfTheCall to his grandson Uryu. Instead, he tells Uryu that he has to learn for himself the secret of what Ryuken wants to protect. Sadly, this approach didn't work out for the Ishidas, since [[spoiler: Uryu has now joined up with the very people Ryuken was hoping to protect him from.]]
* This is C.C.'s favourite trope in ''Anime/CodeGeass'', aside from being a SugarAndIcePersonality. [[spoiler:She was in league with the Protagonist's parents, but switched sides after some soul-searching]]. Mostly, she's willing to help out ''a lot'' from behind the scenes, whilst leaving Lelouch to learn lessons on his own.
* In ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'', both Asahina Mikuru and Nagato Yuki give Kyon very incomplete information about [[spoiler:how to... save the world from Haruhi.]] Kyon puts both clues together at nearly the last minute to do just so. {{Justified|Trope}} to some extent because both Asahina and Nagato are constrained by rules.
* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' uses this with protagonist Izuku Midoriya's super-power One For All. Though the previous wielder All Might mentors Izuku and teaches him what he can, ultimately he encourages Izuku to figure out his own way of using it -- especially because when Izuku imitates All Might's fighting style, he ends up [[HeroicRROD breaking his bones]] and risking permanent, crippling injuries. [[spoiler:Eventually he does find his own way, which he dubs "One For All Full Cowl", which involves spreading about 5% the power evenly throughout his own body rather than doing 100% all-or-nothing attacks; he also adopts a kick-heavy fighting style to avoid risking more strain to his arms.]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Jiraiya tells this to Naruto when he is training him on how to use the Rasengan, that Naruto will have to work out how to pop the balloons and complete all three stages of mastering the jutsu by himself. Notably, Naruto also improvises a way to do the first stage while circumventing the most difficult part which Jiraiya didn't expect at all.
** Also, during a CrypticConversation over a game of shogi, Asuma asks Shikamaru what part of Konoha the King represents. [[spoiler:Only with his last breath does he reveal the identity of the King: the new generation.]]
** Kabuto revives some fairly powerful kages during the 4th shinobi world war, controlling their bodies but allowing them to speak normally to their opponents, who they would otherwise want to be allied with. One of them, the Second Mizukage, gets tired of explaining his techniques (or rather, tired of his opponents utterly failing to make effective use of the explanations), and eventually states that if they're not strong enough to figure it out on their own and seal him, they don't deserve to win.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Robin asks Rayleigh, first mate of the Roger Pirates, whether Roger found out what happened in the 100-Year Void, the truth detailed in the Rio Poneglyph she's been looking for most of her life. He advises her to continue her journey, suggesting that she might come to an entirely different conclusion than he did, saying that they, as mere pirates, could not hope to understand the true history as well as the scholars of Ohara did. He still offers to tell her if she wants to know, but she politely declines.
* Despite the obvious worry of ''Anime/PrincessNine'''s lead about the truth of her late father cheating in a baseball game, none of the characters who admit to knowing will tell her. She is later inexplicably convinced by her own ''bizarre dream sequence''.
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
** In ''Master Class Choices!'', Serena was told by a former Pokémon performer and Kalos Queen that she lacks something to become the next Queen and until she figured out what that was she would never defeat the current Queen. Although she thought about her words, Serena decided to not worry about it and keep moving forward. However, in ''Performing a Pathway to the Future!'', Serena not only figured out for herself what she lacks to become Kalos Queen when she witness the current Queen's performances at the Master Class but also realized the mistake she made in brushing it off and should have tried to figure it out before the Showcase. Despite it, Serena vowed to overcome what she lacks and become a great Queen one day.
** In ''Dreaming of the Sun and Moon!'', Ash was stuck on what do next because his Island Challenge was finished and the Pokémon League. Although he thought about catching some more Pokémon, Ash asked Professor Kukui for some help but he told him that he should figure it out for himself. When asked by Olivia about his plans, Ash told her that he needed to figure it out for himself. However, after thinking about Olivia words about seeing the world, Ash not only fingered out what he wants to do next for his journey but also that his Alola journey was coming to a close.
* ''Manga/RealMoTamaniWaUsoWoTsuku'': In Chapter 134, Nanami's mother Shouko has revealed that she knows that Nanami's friend Kaori is actually Kaoru. This is at least partially because Kaoru (in disguise as Kaori) and Nanami were meeting at their house to discuss ways of approaching Nanami's father Toshio in order to get him to accept they're now a couple. In Chapter 135, Nanami realises that now that Shouko knows, [[StatingTheSimpleSolution she can explain things to Toshio instead of Nanami and Kaoru having to wrack their brains]]. Shouko notes that she ''could'', but she feels it's more important that Nanami and Kaoru solve the problem themselves.
* In ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'', the main character, as a Sanzo priest, is supposed to give advice and provide an example of how to live your life. Sanzo rejects this as hypocritical and useless. He therefore takes a "figure it out yourself" stance on LIFE. The one time he does give a lecture on Buddhist ideology (his personal favorite, "if you meet the buddha, kill the buddha") it is a HUGE deal.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
** Doctor Strange usually takes this approach, preferring to be cryptic and do little more than nudge someone in the right direction, before letting them figure it out. However, if the situation is serious enough, he will outright inform people of ''exactly'' what they need to do.
** Harry's older alternate counterpart, 'Nathan', takes this approach when dealing with his younger self when they meet, refusing to spoon-feed him, only elaborating once Harry's well on the right track. That said, this is partly because he's not entirely sure how much of his future applies to Harry's timeline, since their timelines diverged years before the start of the series.
* Kyoko Kirigiri's attitude in ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' (mentioned below) is satirized mercilessly in ''WebVideo/DanganronpaParody''.
-->'''Kyoko:''' Hmm, this is going to be a really challenging one, so I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to help you out this time.\\
'''Makoto:''' This time? When did you even help me out the first time?
* Due to dimensions breaking down in ''Fanfic/DimensionalLinks'', the Link from ''Majora's Mask'' (called Mask) and the Link from ''Ocarina of Time'' (called Ocarina) encounter and travel with one another. Since Mask is a future Ocarina, he refuses to tell Ocarina too much about his future, partially because of paradoxes, and partially because it's not fair for Ocarina to get hints when Mask didn't.
-->'''Mask:''' If I had to beat up the creep on my own, so do you.
* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' features this in to some degree in the form of both the Patronus and the True Patronus. While some instruction can be helpful for both, the feeling you use to fuel the spell must be organic and something meaningful to you in particular. The True Patronus is even more extreme in this regard, which makes Harry unwilling to share its secret with others, as it requires knowledge of the true nature of dementors. However, knowing the true nature of dementors renders you permanently unable to cast the normal version of the Patronus charm, and because of the nature of the True Patronus, you need a particular mindset to cast it which most people lack. Harry realizes after casting the True Patronus that he wasn't the first person to figure out the true nature of dementors, but those who had figured it out previously had kept quiet about it to avoid destroying people's ability to cast the ordinary version of the charm.
* In ''Fanfic/IncarnationOfLegends'', Bell is troubled [[TheseHandsHaveKilled after taking a life]] to save Haruhime and goes to Kojiro for advice. To Bell's dismay, Kojiro says that in his view, those who take lives are evil, and thus he defines himself as evil. But Kojiro soon clarifies that it's only Bell can decide what will set his mind at peace, and that he'll simply have to find a way to live with it.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', [[spoiler:Katsuki]] realizes early on that Izuku's Quirk has more potential than he knows, but refuses to tell him since it'd be pointless if he didn't figure out himself.
* ''Fanfic/MyBravePonyStarfleetMagic'': The shtick with Inquirius. All she can do is talk in questions, which gets redundant when she starts talking like that even in regular conversation. [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo This sounds familiar somehow...]]
* Jiraiya's habit of invoking this is deconstructed in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12518868/1/Sucker-Bet Sucker Bet]].'' Repeatedly telling this to Naruto, (who as in canon, has been emotionally neglected and ostracized for his entire life), only severely discourages the boy, and stunts his learning. When the toads later train Naruto, give him positive feedback, listen to his questions, and they achieve much better results.
* ''Fanfic/ThisBites'': In Chapter 43, after the events of Enies Lobby, Cross intercepts [[spoiler:Kuzan]] on his way to the party and learns of his motivation for what he did. It ends with [[spoiler:Kuzan]], now unsure of what to do with himself, asking Cross what he should do. And Cross's response, predictably, is a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
-->'''Cross''': ''(scowling)'' Get up off your ass and figure it out yourself.
-->'''Soundbite''': '''HAVE YOU LOST YOUR'''— ''(Cross grabs his tongue)'' '''''WHEGH!'''''
-->'''[[spoiler:Kuzan]]''': Excuse me?
-->'''Cross''': You heard me! Figure it. Out. ''Yourself.'' You say you've seen the truth, you say you want to change? Well, I call ''bullshit!'' Look at you! Even now, you're being a lazy bastard, relying on others to do your thinking for you, to give you all the answers you need. You think that someone's just going to stand up and act as your inspiration, your beacon of righteousness? Weeeeell tough, because that shit officially stops with ''me.'' I'm not giving you ''squat,'' [[spoiler:Kuzan]]. You want your epiphany, you want a path to a better world? Then ''you'' get up, ''you'' find it and you pave it with your ''own'' hands, with ''your'' own blood, sweat and tears… just like what everyone else on the planet does every. Single. ''Day.''
* When Ichigo has to perform FusionDance with his zanpakuto in ''Fanfic/VowOfTheKing'', Yoruichi explicitly states she ''can't'' tell him how to perform it, despite having done so herself before. She compares it to enlightenment and admits that explaining the process to Kisuke left him incapable of doing it himself.
* After the four retrieve the first piece of the Vasyn in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' and the Fans “call” to congratulate them, George asks why his ring stuck, and Ringo asks whether he actually teleported or the Fans saved him. Jeft says ~THESE ARE NOT THINGS WE CAN TELL YOU. YOU MUST FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES.~ To which George, reasonably enough, cries “Rubbish! How're we supposed to find this bloody thing for you if our magic goes haywire for no reason?” Shag is equally annoyed at Jeft for holding out on the four, and answers their questions for them. (At which Jeft sniffs, ~ARE WE QUITE FINISHED SPOILING MYSTERIES?~) Immediately after they leave the four, Jeft gives Shag a series of good reasons why he didn't want to answer the questions. She grudgingly agrees that he was right and she was wrong. [[spoiler:His reasons are all garbage; he really did want to preserve the mysteries in the story, since it's all a game he cooked up.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* This is a major theme in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'', and shows up twice. The first is when [[BigFun Po]], a geeky kung fu fan, is chosen as the new [[TheChosenOne Dragon Warrior]], rather than one of the extremely skilled and disciplined Furious Five. When [[TheMentor Master Shifu]] complains about this choice to [[OldMaster Grand Master Oogway]], Oogway merely smiles and tells Shifu that he'll have to figure out why Po was selected for himself (it doesn't help that Oogway is [[spoiler: literally on his deathbed for this conversation, so there's no chance of extracting further information]]). The second is the climax of the film: the whole purpose of choosing the Dragon Warrior is to give that individual the mysterious Dragon Scroll, which contains the ultimate secret of being a kung fu master. When Po finally opens the scroll, it reveals...[[spoiler: a blank, reflective surface. Though he, Shifu, and the Furious Five initially believe this to be a trick, Po eventually deduces that the ''entire point'' of the Dragon Scroll is that kung fu mastery [[BeYourself comes from within]]--the scroll's surface is meant to show the face of the Warrior and encourage them to turn to self-reflection for strength. Po uses this newfound knowledge to defeat BigBad Tai Lung with the legendary Wuxi Finger Hold; Po brags that he didn't need to be taught the Hold, as he figured out how to do it in his own way.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians'', this seems to be the case with the Man in the Moon, particularly in his "interactions" with Jack. Also, he seems to have a very hands-off relationship with the Guardians as a whole.
* Double subverted in ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed''. Mei's mother promises to be with Mei every step of the way in dealing with her giant red panda form but she actually does nothing to actually help her control it only taking steps to limit the damage Mei causes in that form.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* Occurs in ''Film/GodzillaVsMegalon'' when one of the heroes tries to save two friends of his, but seeing as its done by trying to convince 2 mooks who were helping the Seatopians (the bad guys), it's more of a case of ScrewThisImOuttaHere.
* No one can be told what ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' is, [[InvokedTrope you have to see it for yourself]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Often averted by Jesus in ''Literature/TheBible''. He tells some metaphorical parable, and his disciples come and ask what it really meant. So he'll say something along the lines of "C'mon guys, do I really have to spell it out for you?" and then proceed to spell it out for them.
* The cheela (neutron-star dwelling beings) of ''Literature/DragonsEgg'' live ''much'' faster lives than humans, and advance at a much faster rate (it takes them roughly ''one day'' to advance from their equivalent of Sumeria to their equivalent of Rome). When a human spaceship shows up and ''even further'' boosts their rate of technological advancement (by essentially beaming Wikipedia at them), they feel the need to pay them back when they (again within a day or two) advance far past human technology. However, they can't just ''tell'' us everything; instead, everything they know is ''encrypted'' with keys that are based on the knowledge contained inside. So, for example, to unlock the section on faster-than-light travel, humans will need to find a pyramid on a body around ''Epsilon Eridani''...which is about 10 light years away from the Sun. Their reasons aren't really explored, but they seem to feel that simply telling us will deprive us of the benefits of figuring it out ourselves.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Wizards and beings of certain places have this mentality when it comes to those in their care. Many of Harry Dresden's Wizard allies are centuries older than him and have a lot of knowledge chronicled inside. They, however, keep it close to the vest, preferring Harry to learn things on his own and earn the knowledge the hard way. Even the Archangel of the Lord Uriel doesn't even tell Harry [[spoiler:he has been blessed with access to Soulfire, the Fires of Creation, in order to balance an action of Lucifer's, how to use it, or the consequences of using it too much. Note that this burns away his very soul but it is recoverable if he does good things. Uriel must abide by God's Laws to protect Freewill and Harry's own choices, so if being told something will change his choice, Uriel cannot do it]].
* Literature/DrThorndyke does this constantly, to TheWatson, the police, and his clients. [[{{Understatement}} They usually find this somewhat frustrating]]. It's also meant [[FairPlayWhodunnit for the reader]].
* This trope defines the plot of book four of the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles''. The [[FisherKing king]] of the Enchanted Forest carries a magical sword that OnlyTheChosenMayWield, the chosen being a member of the king's bloodline. This becomes a problem when the current king is trapped in a [[TailorMadePrison magical prison]] and the only thing that can free him is... Yep, the sword. The good news is that the king, before he was imprisoned, fathered a son, who should by rights be able to wield the sword. The bad news is that that son is only a baby. To make matters worse, the [[LegionOfDoom Wizards]], who imprisoned the king, can track the sword when it's being carried by someone ''who knows what it is''. The solution: wait for the son to grow up, give him the sword, and point him in the direction of the prison in the hope that he will figure out what he has to do himself. Consequently, most everyone he encounters knows more about his quest than he does, but can't tell him anything for fear of the Wizards finding him.
* In ''Literature/TheGodsThemselves'', the nature of [[StarfishAlien Soft One]] maturation requires that the Rational work out the species' life cycle on his own. Simply telling him how it works prevents him from reaching the level of mental development needed to actually cause the final maturation.
* A rare TearJerker example of this in Donna Tartt's ''Literature/TheGoldfinch'', when the protagonist finally meets his beloved mother (who tragically died) in a dream:
-->And I knew that she could tell me anything I wanted to know (life, death, past, future) even though it was already there, in her smile, the answer to all questions, the before-Christmas smile of someone with a secret too wonderful to let slip, just yet: well, you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Most of Harry's interactions with Dumbledore revolve around measured dispensing and denying of plot critical information -- all as a "learning experience".
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': Dumbledore admits that this was a bad idea. But even then, he still doesn't tell Harry what a Horcrux is, even though he has excellent reasons to do so (Harry doesn't think finding out about them is that important; if he knew what they were, it might move up his priority list).
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'':
*** He implies to [[spoiler:Snape that he kept secrets from Harry so that Voldemort wouldn't know through their PsychicLink]].
*** While the PowerTrio is on the road trying to figure out what they have to do, Hermione suggests this trope as a rationale for why they had to do something while LampshadeHanging how little sense it makes. Later on, when Harry turns the same rationale on her for a different goal, she admits that she didn't really believe it and was just trying to get her way in the first place. [[spoiler:Of course, Harry turns out right anyway]].
* In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' book ''Owlflight'', Darian and his teacher Firesong K'Treva have a brief falling-out over this, as Firesong and Darian have had such completely different childhoods that Darian simply doesn't ''have'' the knowledge or background required to figure out Firesong's type of magic for himself.
* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'': Lyra cannot be told anything about her destiny but has to complete it naturally on her own... BecauseDestinySaysSo, literally...
* This is how Elodin teaches naming in ''Literature/TheKingkillerChronicle''. It basically consists of doing random things for stupid reasons, letting the students figure out how to name stuff.
* In the second book of ''Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy'', ''The Girl Who Played With Fire'', Lisbeth tells only cryptic clues to Mikael while he is trying to investigate the murders she is accused of and clear her name.
* Richard's companions in ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' pointedly refuse to explain most of London Below, on the premise that it's dangerous to know too much. Richard nearly dies several times due to lack of forewarning, at which point his "friends" chide him for ''not knowing information they withheld.''
* In ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth'', both King Azaz and the Mathemagician tell Milo that there is a great secret regarding his quest to rescue the Princesses of Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason from the Castle in the Air, but further explain that they can't tell him that secret until he comes back successfully. When he does, the two admit the secret about the quest: "It was impossible. Completely impossible." Milo is understandably stunned, but the rulers explain that if they'd ''told'' him that, he would have given up; it was only by daring to do something difficult that he was able to succeed in the first place.
** The book's overall message is AnAesop about the importance of learning not to be right, but for ''learning's sake.'' When Milo meets the Princesses, he admits that he's made countless mistakes along the way and can't see the point in them--or of learning things in general. Reason teaches him that the secret--and importance--of making mistakes to figure out for one's self what is the right and wrong thing to do, and that they're only a problem if you've learned what is right and choose to do what's wrong regardless. Rhyme offers a further explanation about the importance of learning seemingly unimportant things: "It's learning what you do with what you learn and learning why you ''learn things at all'' that matters." In other words, true wisdom and intelligence come not from regurgitating information, but figuring out what parts of that information to keep, and then deducing for yourself how to apply that newfound knowledge.
* L.E. Modesitt's ''Literature/SagaOfRecluce'' series has a particularly ridiculous case of this. Order mages are usually "trained" by giving them a near-incomprehensible textbook and sending them off into danger. Why? Because, for no apparent reason, actually explaining things prevents mages from applying what they were told. Even though the explanations make perfect sense to the reader. Of course, the ordermages who are "trained" in this fashion usually either [[JustifiedTrope refused to learn the normal way or are the first ordermages in the area]]. In addition, the people doing the exiling do it primarily to [[MikeNelsonDestroyerofWorlds protect everyone else on the island]], and the "textbook" is the semi-incoherent journal of one of the former exiles.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** In ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'', the eponymous antagonist uses this after dropping a few oblique hints so a smuggler captain he wants to come to a particular conclusion doesn't get suspicious.
** A version of this trope is brought up in ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Starfighters of Adumar]]'', when Wedge Antilles does not want to kill the ProudWarriorRace guys he's having to fight, but can't tell them why because he's trying to sway their government, and outright stating that he finds their way of life repulsive won't win the New Republic any favors.
--->'''Hobbie:''' Do to them what you do to us at times like that. [...] Tell them ''what'' you're doing but not ''why''. Then let them speculate. Listen to them as they speculate. When they come up with an idea you really, really like, [[AscendedFanon tell them "You finally guessed right. That was my reasoning all along."]]
* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'':
** This is Miles Vorkosigan's standard response whenever someone asks him how to do something he's asked them to do, when he doesn't know how to do it himself.
** [[TheEmperor Emperor]] Gregor also makes Mark Vorkosigan figure it out himself in ''Literature/MirrorDance''. As Mark says (using asking someone for the time of day as a metaphor):
---> Gregor would hint obliquely where I might look for a [[CallARabbitASmeerp crono]].
* ''Everybody'' in Robert Jordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. If the good guys didn't universally have a habit of not sharing information with each other (along with [[{{Jerkass}} other]] [[WouldntHitAGirl tragic]] [[StrawFeminist flaws]]), the series really would have been a trilogy. Of course, this is intentional, as one of the major themes of the series is the problems caused by poor communication and unwillingness to talk.
* This is a running theme in Diane Duane's ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series. Magic itself runs on this rule: while new wizards receive [[BigBookOfEverything magical books]] that contain all they need to know about magic, the books largely operate on a "need to know" basis (beyond an introduction as to the basic rules of the system)--they're BiggerOnTheInside and will produce the information a wizard needs at that time, but only just enough to get the mage started on their quest; the rest they have to do on their own. One of the recurring quotes in the series is this exchange: "Did I do right?" "Go find out..."
** This is applied in a larger sense with the "Ordeal," a frightening and perilous test that every wizard must undergo when they first take the magical Oath that gives them their powers. No one is ever given any sort of warning as to when, where, or how the Ordeal will take place--only that it will be some form of battle against [[BigBad the Lone Power]], the AnthropomorphicPersonification of death, entropy, and destruction in the series. There is no rhyme or reason as to what form the Ordeal will take, either, or what task the mage will have to complete to pass (the third book reveals a NoodleIncident in which one wizard completed their test by ''inviting the Lone Power to dinner''). It's entirely up to the wizard (or wizards) in question to figure out what they have to do and how to do it, and then complete that task without dying.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* During ''Series/TheAdventuresOfBriscoCountyJr.'', this was usually the reply Brisco got when asking questions about the Orb to anyone who was actually in a position to know something.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': "You're Welcome". Cordelia wakes from her coma to help Angel and company rediscover their true calling:
-->'''Cordelia:''' You just forgot who you are.\\
'''Angel:''' Remind me.\\
'''Cordelia:''' Oh no, that's for you to figure out, bubba.
* In an episode of the 2000s ContinuityReboot of ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' when the character Six gets Baltar to tell Commander Adama he needs an atom bomb to find possible Cylons, and Six tells him, "figure out the rest yourself." Of course, it was this very bomb that enabled the ''Cylons'' to find the ''humans'' once they had settled on New Caprica.
* ''Series/BlakesSeven'':
** MasterComputer Zen refuses to tell the protagonists how to work the instruments on the ''Liberator'', but implies that they must learn through experience. This means they nearly get killed working out WhatDoesThisButtonDo to operate the teleport system or pilot the alien spaceship. However it's later revealed that the ''Liberator'' was built by another MasterComputer that later [[AIIsACrapshoot enslaved its own creators]], so Zen would be aware of the consequences of people becoming too dependent on their machines.
** MagicalComputer Orac similarly showed this attitude in "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS4E4Stardrive Stardrive]]". He was shown a video of several ships exploding, immediately saw why they were exploding but refused to tell anyone because he was "not interested in attempting to compensate for [their] amazing lack of observation" thereby forcing them to watch the video frame-by-frame until they found it.
%%%* The Doctor from ''Series/DoctorWho'' and Sailor Pluto from ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' both invoke the "changing the future" excuse.
* It's also the case for several characters on ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', particularly the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality Observers]][[note]] although in their case it's sort of justified in that they [[TimeyWimeyBall exist outside time]][[/note]], although [[TricksterMentor Sam Weiss]] gets a few good moments in seasons 2 and 3.
%%* God does this in pretty much every episode of ''Series/JoanOfArcadia''.
* A complaint often leveled at the characters in ''Series/{{Lost}}''; they all really need to be more forthcoming with answers ''and'' persistent in the asking of questions.
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'' is having problems with his assistant Sharona and is very annoyed when he realises his psychiatrist knows how to fix it but is using this trope.
-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I wanna make sure I understand this. I have a problem... you know the answer...\\
'''Dr. Charles Kroger:''' That's right.\\
'''Adrian Monk:''' I'm paying you...\\
'''Dr. Charles Kroger:''' That's right.\\
'''Adrian Monk:''' ...but you won't tell me.\\
'''Dr. Charles Kroger:''' That's right. Adrian, the answer is inside you.\\
'''Adrian Monk:''' No, doctor, the... answer is inside you. If you told me, I would hear it, and then the answer would be inside me!
* Dimitria spent the first half of ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' doing this (her species could ''only talk in questions,'' supposedly, though fellow "Inquirian" Visceron didn't have this problem), only to drop this practice when the four veteran Rangers -- probably more experienced at this sort of thing than she was -- were retired and replaced, at which point she got a lot more direct.
* Lampshaded in an early episode of ''Series/RedDwarf'', with the "Holly Hop Drive".
-->'''Lister:''' It's just a box, with "STOP" and "START" on it!\\
'''Holly:''' It's fairly straightforward. If you want to start it you press "START", and you can work out the rest of the controls for yourself.
* Dr. Cox has this attitude very often with all of his interns/residents on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', although it is possible that this is because, as doctors, they need to be able to perform procedures/diagnoses in order to become effective medical staff. Or, possibly, because he's [[DrJerk a jerk]].
* Shouted word for word by the Narrator from Season 2 of ''Series/{{Schmigadoon}}''.
* It's a recurring part of the Ancients' schtick in ''Series/StargateSG1'', and a lot of what makes the Tollans so annoying. Nicely explained concerning the issue of ascension: the Ancients believe people should learn how to do it themselves (after all, ''they'' did), while the Ori promise to ascend followers for them ([[TheCakeIsALie which is actually a lie]], but no-one knew it at the time). While Daniel is usually frustrated by the Ancients and their lack of helpfulness (they are NeglectfulPrecursors and don't even clean up messes they made, let alone help in other basic non-ascension ways), he once spoke in their defense to stop people from following the Ori:
-->'''Daniel:''' You're right. Maybe... hoarding knowledge is wrong. Or maybe it's not. Maybe learning something for yourself is part of the journey to enlightenment.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'':
** In one episode, a visitor from the future arrives on the ''Enterprise'' right at the time when Picard has to make a decision with the fate of an entire planet at stake. Picard asks the time traveler for help, but he naturally refuses, pointing out that influence past decisions would risk destroying his own timeline. [[spoiler:In an interesting subversion, it turns out that the time traveler actually refused because he had ''no idea'' what was going to happen. He was actually from the ''past'' and had stolen the time machine.]]
** In another episode, Counselor Troi is attempting to complete the Bridge Officer Exam but ends up failing three times. Confused as to if the test is an UnwinnableTrainingSimulation or a SecretTestOfCharacter, she approaches Riker for some sort of hint. However, he refuses to say anything, telling her that the ship comes before anyone else and if they don't understand this, then they don't have a place taking the test. [[spoiler:It turns out, however, that Riker actually ''had'' hinted at the answer; she just had to understand what he was telling her.]]
** In the SeriesFinale "All Good Things...", Picard asks Q what he's ''really'' saying about humanity. Q begins to whisper something in his ear, then changes his mind, smiling broadly and bidding Picard farewell.
--->'''Q:''' In any case, I'll be watching. And if you're very lucky, I'll drop by to say hello from time to time. See you... out there!
** This was also a theme in the SeriesFinale as a whole. Q gives Picard a few hints, but by and large, Picard is left to figure out the cause of the anomaly and what to do about it.
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Meet the New Boss", the Winchesters try to [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu bind the Grim Reaper]] to force him to dispatch a rogue angel who achieved godhood. They eventually fail, but Death doesn't immediately vaporize them. Instead he goes out of his way to create another eclipse so that the Winchesters can reverse the ritual that started all this mess and tells them to compel the angel to do it, but emphasizes that it's not a CosmicEntity's job to save one tiny planet every time it's on the edge of disaster.
-->'''Dean:''' "Compel"?\\
'''Death:''' '''''Figure it out.'''''
* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': In "An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel", George goes to Prof. Boucher to talk to him about how he's treating Sheldon. Boucher explains that if he just told Sheldon what he was doing wrong he wouldn't learn, and he can't be coddled because otherwise he wouldn't cope with life's difficulties. George agrees and tells Sheldon to stop pouting and work it out. And Sheldon does, after twenty minutes of pouting.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* Should you ever find yourself in ''Series/FraggleRock'' and [[WanderingMinstrel Cantus the Minstrel]] happens to be around, ask him for some advice. He'll give it freely, but it's so cryptic that you ''have'' to do this trope. This quirk of his has been lampshaded on several occasions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'': One episode of the ShowWithinAShow put on by the main characters, '''BTV''', uses this trope in its adaptation of the Biblical Parable of the Unforgiving Servant:
-->'''King:''' I hereby command that you be thrown into prison and there be tortured by the jailers until you repay what you owe.
-->'''Unforgiving Servant:''' B-but how can I work to repay you if I'm being tortured in prison?
-->'''King:''' That's for you to figure out...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In a meta example, a number of video games have secrets that must be found in order to get HundredPercentCompletion, or even just to get the most out of the game. While the companies would rather encourage players to invoke this trope, unfortunately, there's a reason why the GuideDangIt trope exists...
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate''
** Elminster refuses to reveal the big secret behind the protagonist's past he's been hinting at, declaring that "self-discovery is best left to the self."
** This could potentially be invoked in the first game of the series with a certain dialogue choice. The protagonist may encounter Portalbendarwinden, a crazy old hermit living between Beregost and Nashkel. If the protagonist asks him for advice, Portalbendarwinden says a bunch of nonsense in the style of a TalkativeLoon. The game then gives the protagonist [[RageBreakingPoint the choice to go over the edge]] and demand that Portalbendarwinden give them a straight answer, lest they [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon do something unspeakably terrible to him]]. Unfortunately, as much fun as it is to pick this option, it doesn't end well. After the rant's over, Portalbendarwinden [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness does give them a straight answer]], in the form of telling the protagonist that [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere they're a jerk and that he's not talking to them anymore, at which point Portalbendarwinden vanishes]].
--->"Okay, I've just about had my FILL of riddle-asking, quest-assigning, insult-throwing, pun-hurling, hostage-taking, iron-mongering, smart-arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you've got a straight answer ANYWHERE in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I'm going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster AND his hat, and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the nine hells themselves wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I MADE myself perfectly CLEAR?!"
* This is integral to Jonathan Blow's approach to designing games. He says he enjoys the "aha!" moment when he finally works out how to progress in a game, and wants people who play his games to experience that pleasure for themselves, refusing to release walkthroughs or help guides for that reason. He's also said that this is why he doesn't enjoy playing most games, because they tell him exactly how to play.
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', a rat [[YouShouldntKnowThisAlready tells you what buttons to press to open a passage leading to the next bit of story]], but then says if you messed with the button bindings, it won't work and you'll have to figure it out on your own.
* The ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', and ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' are rather notorious for this. The games will only go so far as to explain the basic controls, but in terms of telling you where to go or how to fight the bosses, well, you'll have to figure that out yourself. Over and over and over...
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. If Loghain is a party member, and you decide not to take him with you to defeat the Archdemon, he puzzles why you spared his life if you had no intention of forcing him to kill the archdemon as an alternative to self-sacrifice, one of your answers is that someday he'll realize why. If you choose the Heroic Sacrifice, it's doubly poignant.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** At one point in ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII'', when Lightning tires of her riddles and wordplay and outright asks Lumina what the hell she's talking about, Lumina's response is that Lightning has to figure it out herself or else it won't mean anything. [[spoiler:Considering that Lumina is actually an aspect of Lightning's personality that she cast off, this isn't necessarily off the mark.]]
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' has Auron acting this way when it comes to the goings-on of the summoner pilgrimage and how he ties into it all. Auron was the guardian of Braska, the current High Summoner, and knows that the CorruptChurch of Yevon is pulling a few strings to give people a false hope. Namely, that [[spoiler:summoners do temporarily stop Sin with their pilgrimage, so a summoner's struggles are never in vain. But a summoner can never ''permanently'' stop Sin, because the summoner dies in the attempt and the Final Aeon they summon just becomes the next Sin. This is what happened with Tidus's father Jecht, the current incarnation of Sin and Auron's friend]]. The reason Auron doesn't tell anybody about any of this in Yuna's party is because Auron doesn't want any of them to get second thoughts, and to see if Yuna is the kind of person who would TakeAThirdOption and find a way to give the people a real hope instead of a false hope. Lucky for everyone that Yuna is just that kind of summoner, but others in Yuna's party frequently call out Auron for trying to play the StealthMentor when he could just spell it out for everyone instead.
--->'''Rikku:''' Hey, you know something, don't you? Spill the beans!\\
'''Auron:''' Look not to others for knowledge. This is your journey, too.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** Inverted in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories''. Axel explicitly offers Sora a hint as to what's going on in Castle Oblivion, but Sora turns him down, stating that he'd rather figure it out himself.
** Granted, in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', Axel gives Roxas the exact opposite treatment.
** Played straight in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' though, when Sora asks Hercules what it takes to be a true hero.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III'', Rean tells Altina that she has to figure out what school club to join for herself after she asks him to simply assign her one, or else it won't mean anything. Later, if you do her bonding event, he relents somewhat by helping her to do some of the legwork, but tells her that the final decision still has to be hers.
* Inverted by the Reapers in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' trilogy. They constructed an extensive galaxy spanning mass relay network and left behind more than enough clues for all potentially spacefaring races to be spoon fed mass effect field technology - so that those races do not figure out any alternative Faster Than Light Travel technology. The Reapers want species to develop technology on the narrow path that they desire - so that they can then completely neutralize this technology and harvest i.e. genocide the entire species.
* In ''VideoGame/Mother3'', this is more-or-less what Wess tells Duster when sending him to get the [[spoiler:Egg of Light]]. Naturally, being told ''only'' to get a shiny thing in the nearby ancient castle, with no more details than that, backfires, but Wess simply blames Duster for the mistake.
* ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'': The entirety of ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' is an instance of FigureItOutYourself. Atrus is too busy to explain the situation before sending you off, so he gives you a wondrously cryptic journal, assuring you that "most of what you'll need to know is in there". He does mention that he can't supply you with an escape hatch, "for reasons you'll discover". And he tells you to signal him when you've accomplished your mission, but doesn't tell you how...
* An old game on the Apple II called ''Nightmare #6'' started off with the text: "The object of the game is to figure out the object of the game."
* In the InteractiveFiction game ''VideoGame/ThePKGirl'', Katryn makes a very big point of giving you exactly half of the information you need and letting you win the rest of the story yourself. Of course, she's a FemmeFatale and a [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bitch]], and [[spoiler:while she has her own agenda, using you as her catspaw is [[SecretTestOfCharacter her way of testing you to see if you're]] worthy to take over ROSA]].
* In ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns: [[ExpansionPack Hong Kong]]'' the player has the option of saying this to [[spoiler:the BigBad [[ThisCannotBe as she attempts to understand]] how a mortal [[DidYouJustScamCthulhu would know the rules and customs of the Yama Kings and thus utterly defeat her]]]]. Given the situation she's in, it's clear the PlayerCharacter is doing it purely to {{troll}} her.
* The ''VideoGame/SixAges'' deity Hyalor is the god of leadership, but part of leadership is [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure trusting your people]] to do the right thing, not interrupting them all the time to micromanage. So when his clan asked him how they would live after the exodus, Hyalor smiled and showed them a blank tablet. The clan became grateful for this later, when they realized that without the blank tablet/freedom they would never have discovered their own strength(s) and instead relied on Hyalor for everything.
* The Star Tablet keepers of the ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series tend to do this a lot, much to said Stars' annoyance. Most notably, [[VideoGame/SuikodenV Zerase]] and her {{Expy}} [[VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis Zenoa]], who practically brag about their knowledge and ridicule you for asking questions of them.
* Somewhat amusingly, when Yuan from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' says this to the party, it's mostly just that he's too [[GoodIsNotNice impatient]] to bother explaining all the details.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In the case of the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series, it's obvious what the real reason is that Phoenix Wright (and Apollo) have to figure everything out for themselves. After all, it wouldn't be much of a game if they kept telling you how to solve the problems. In-universe, however, it's kind of strange how everyone, including his mentor Mia, refuses to give any advice at trials more helpful than sometimes-vague hints. Apparently, Phoenix's growth as a lawyer is more important than making sure his innocent client doesn't get convicted of murder, even if that client is Mia's little sister.
** Phoenix in fact questions Mia's motive for being so secretive about the outcome on one occasion. In the second case of ''Justice for All'', she tells him that if he can't answer her questions, he won't stand a chance against Franziska in court.
** Miles Edgeworth tells Phoenix in ''Justice for All'' that he has to decide for himself what being an attorney means. It's suggested that he doesn't tell Phoenix what he considers to be the right answer -- to reveal the truth -- because Maya is being held hostage to force Phoenix to get an acquittal for his very-much-guilty client.
** Ema Skye uses the phrase directly in the 4th game, regarding Phoenix's loss of his badge.
* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Kirigiri and Togami both pull this regularly. Kirigiri justifies it with the idea that [[StealthMentor Naegi needs to learn how to solve cases on his own]] in case [[AnyoneCanDie anything happens to her]], while also wanting to avoid her preconceived notions influencing the investigation. Perhaps more pragmatically, she also has to worry about giving out more than anyone needs to know on the off-chance that one of the other students might be the BigBad ([[spoiler:[[ProperlyParanoid which turns out to be the case]], just not in the way she thought]]). Togami, meanwhile... he's just a {{Jerkass}} who wants to flaunt his intellect in a show of power, since to him [[ThisIsACompetition the game is a life-or-death struggle that he intends to win]]. In the second case he actively hinders the investigation in order to smoke out people smart enough to be a threat to him.
* When the protagonist of ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' asks who stole the toaster, Mortelli doesn’t say, but invites him to take a guess.
* In ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', when Daniela insists that she and her mysterious employer are on the protagonist’s side, he asks for more information. However, she doesn’t give him any, saying that they’d “fail” if they told him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', this is Ellen's approach to help Elliot [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2013-03-13 realize what kind of relationship he truly wants]]. This is partly on the grounds that they've had some time to diverge since [[OppositeSexClone Ellen's initial creation]], so Ellen's feelings on the matter aren't ''necessarily'' going to be the same as Elliot's, and partly on the grounds that if he ''doesn't'' figure it out himself, he'll just fight it whether it's true or not.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Karkat is extremely reluctant to explain anything of use to John, even though it would be immensely helpful. This is because he's organising the conversations in a reverse temporal fashion (his first talk with John is John's last, and vice versa). Thus, he's already explained those facts and doesn't want to repeat himself every time, which means John either figures it out himself, gets the information from another source (which pisses Karkat off) or waits until Karkat is finally good and ready to explain. When Karkat later trolls Jade, she enforces a password system for the explicit purpose of not letting him do this.
* After Joyce from ''Webcomic/ItsWalky'' asks [[AllPowerfulBystander The Cheese]] if God exists, his answer is a version of [[http://www.itswalky.com/d/20031107.html this]].
* A few of the ''Webcomic/{{Nukees}}'' comics that focus on the undergrads talk about this tendency in undergrad textbooks. "The book says, 'the reader can show how X becomes Y squared. I'm the reader! I can't show! The back of my ass! That's what I can show!"
* [[http://talesfromthevault.com/thunderstruck/comic603.html Justified]] in ''Webcomic/{{Thunderstruck}}'', with the Shackled Man. Basically, [[spoiler:he can see all possible futures except events directly involving him. So if he tells anyone what he sees, and they act on it, he can't see what happens to them after that.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/AshensAndTheQuestForTheGameChild'' has the titular [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct Game Child]] appear to Ashens in a dream, where he begs it for guidance. This results in admonishment and a PrecisionFStrike from a handheld games console, of all things.
-->'''Game Child:''' Find the Game Child! It is your destiny!\\
'''Ashens:''' But where do I find it?\\
'''Game Child:''' You know what you have to do.\\
'''Ashens:''' A little help would be good.\\
'''Game Child:''' Figure it out yourself, you lazy ''bastard''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10SecretOfTheOmnitrix'', this is uttered by the creator of the Omnitrix at the very end of the MadeForTVMovie. Due to the very little learning experience Ben expresses, it's pretty much used to maintain the [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo]]. Of course, Azmuth doesn't tell him anything, anyway.
* ''WesternAnimation/DinosaurTrain'' has this indirectly. It's strongly implied that the Conductor has always known that Buddy is a ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' and could have just told him, but let him figure it out for himself because he knew it would mean more to him than for him to just tell him.
-->'''Conductor:''' Yep. I had a feeling he was a T-Rex.
* And speaking of trains, passengers of the WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain are left purely to their own devices and notions regarding why they were brought aboard, what that mysterious glowing number on their body means, and what they need to do to disembark. They finally got some form of help at the end of the first book, by way of [[spoiler:newly-reinstated conductor One-One creating instructional videos]], but the assistance is still pretty vague, amounting to a quick message of, "Hello! You're in emotional turmoil, aren't you? Well, talk to the Train denizens, learn lessons from them, and you can go home again! Good luck!"
* Inversion: ''The Mask / Ace Ventura'' crossover episode "The Aceman Cometh" has Pretorius dognapping Stanley's dog Milo for a brain transfer procedure, so Stanley calls on Ace for help. When Stanley doubts Ace's sanity, he secretly becomes the Mask. It's when a noted scientist with Milo's brain patterns and greets the Mask joyfully that Ace "figured it out!" that Stanley and the Mask are one and the same.
* [[Recap/ThePowerpuffGirlsS2E3BirthdayBashTooPoopedToPuff One episode]] of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' involves the people of Townsville taking the girls' help for granted. Fed up with their laziness, the girls try to teach Townsville to start taking care of their own problems. Their lesson semi-backfires though when the people [[UngratefulBastard proclaim that their don't need the girls anymore]] and throw a party after they manage to kill a monster. Even the narrator chews out the girls for no reason.
* On one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', Angelica repeatedly [[ParentalBonus recited the Louis Armstrong quote]] to the babies. [[HilariousInHindsight That just made the time they camped out a lot funnier.]] Angelica said, "We couldn't sleep 'cause of the [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Sachmo]]."
* Mr. E from ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' is this one. He hangs a lampshade in one episode when he wants to give a Riddle to Mystery Inc, but Shaggy demands a straight answer.
-->'''Mr. E:''' Where's the fun in that?
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', BigBad Wuya regains her physical form (with help from a FaceHeelTurn Raimundo), leaving the Xiaolin monks at a loss. Omi uses a Shen Gong Wu to travel back in time and ask Grand Master Dashi, who originally [[SealedEvilInACan trapped Wuya in a puzzle box]], to create a new seal for her. Dashi instead challenges Omi to a Xiaolin Showdown, tasking him to retrieve a pebble from him in an [[{{Bizarrchitecture}} M.C. Escher-inspired staircase maze]]. All of Omi's martial arts training and skills fail to help, but just when time is about to run out, Dashi remarks that there's something he has not tried yet. Omi promptly ''asks'' for the pebble, which the sage happily gives him. Dashi goes on to explain that while he can create another puzzle box easily, it is up to Omi and the other Xiaolin monks to figure out how to use it properly--the whole point of the Showdown was to emphasize that moral.
** This is also [[TheMentor Master Fung's]] general teaching method. He frequently challenges the monks with particular tasks, such as completing an obstacle course, scaling a cliff, or recovering a jade sculpture from him, but nearly all of them turn out to be [[SecretTestOfCharacter secret tests]] to encourage them to think for themselves and not rely on the magic power of the Shen Gong Wu for success. In the given cases: the obstacle course was a circle, and the proper thing to do was to simply turn around at the starting line and walk to the end, which was right behind the monks; the cliff could only be scaled by all the monks working together; and Master Fung destroyed the jade sculpture when the monks were close to retrieving it, explaining that while the monks' goal was to win, his was ''to not lose'', which is a different thing entirely.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* The ancient philosopher Creator/{{Socrates}} believed in using a complex questioning method to engage with his opponents, instead of simply arguing for the ideas that he had in mind; this makes this OlderThanFeudalism. This method of debate gets so mind-blowingly annoying that it may have had more than a little to do with why Socrates was eventually sentenced to death by the people of Athens. Part of the reason he was executed was because he annoyed (or rather, pissed off) the wrong people with his questions. The high and mighty didn't like being made fools of back then.
** It can help people understand a concept more than if they were just told about it. By asking them questions, they can theorize and you can find out what they already know and what they need to be taught. It's also effective politically, if done well, in that the person you're doing this to will think ''they'' came up with ''your'' idea. And people will always accept things more easily [[GladIThoughtOfIt if it's "their" idea]].
** It probably didn't help Socrates that (at least as portrayed by Plato) he rarely paid more than lip service to his own favored method of discourse. After an initial series of exchanges that show how hopelessly confused his opponent is regarding the matter at interest, the core questions from Socrates invariably go like: "And wouldn't you agree that such and such, and also that this and that, so because of fee fie foe it must be true that blah de blah?" The opponent is then reduced to meekly agreeing. Figure it out yourself, indeed.
*** During his lifetime, Socrates objected to the way Plato represented him. Plato basically treated Socrates as a mouthpiece for his ideas, or at the least, Socrates hated being forced to acknowledge his arrogant behavior.
* In the card game TabletopGame/{{Mao}}, it is against the rules to tell people about the rules. That is the only one of the rules that the people trying to get you to learn the game can tell you. You have to figure out everything else from how the people who know how to play are playing, and [[TrialAndErrorGameplay when you get penalized for getting something wrong]]. Oh, and a new rule is added by the winner of each round. This game is often described as a good glimpse into what trying to learn neurotypical etiquette feels like for autistic people or people who have some sort of social learning disability.
* A quote from physicist UsefulNotes/RichardFeynman: "What I cannot create, I do not understand".
* Similar to the matrix example above, it's debated whether or not [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia qualia]] can be accurately defined.
* This is actually a large part of constructivism, a teaching philosophy that is becoming more common in today's schools and being driven into education majors’ heads by their instructors. Children are not simply told "This is how you solve a problem." Instead, they are guided through the process with questions and prompts from the teacher so that they can discover the answers themselves.
** Doubly so in language learning, where the "Translation Method" (ie. using known language A to explain a word/phrase in unknown language B) can interfere with the mental modelling that would otherwise develop from struggling through language B by itself.
* Zen Buddhism thrives on this, as the whole point of enlightenment is that it's something you have to pursue and figure out yourself. Therefore asking a master to explain something is more likely to get you a {{Koan}} or a seemingly unrelated demonstration than anything a layperson might consider useful.
[[/folder]]
----