History Main / ForgotAboutTheMindReader

A character is thinking something either unflattering or romantic about another character. He's rambling on via internal monologue without a care in the world... until he remembers that the character he's thinking about [[MindReading can read minds]]. Still speaking only in his head, he gasps, [[OhCrap "Oh God, did she just hear that?"]] The answer is ''always'' "Of course she did."

* Played for serious dramatic effect in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', wherein key members of the corrupt government's parliament are brought in to observe a SuperSoldier in the making. What everyone forgot is that the prototype soldier's brain had also been experimented on to make her a psychic, which led to a dangerous secret leaking out, and [[spoiler:the Operative being unleashed to do everything in his power to murder an escaped River]].

-> ''"I would like you all to know that whatever thoughts of mine you're reading are totally made up. They aren't real."''

* This is exactly what happens to Ranma in the climax of the ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' manga, where it's deliberately left ambiguous whether his declaration of love for Akane was internal or external. She reacts as though it was the latter, though.
%%* In ''Manga/ShamanKing'' this happens with Hao as the Mind Reader. [[spoiler: With Anna too, before she lost that power.]]
* In episode 17 of ''Anime/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', this happens to Haruhi when she wonders how Tamaki and Kyouya complement each other so well. Kyouya, being the Shadow King that he is, repeats back her pondering almost word for word.
* Deliberately invoked in ''Anime/OvermanKingGainer''. When faced with an enemy [[HumongousMecha Overman]] that can read minds (and broadcast them), Gainer throws the pilot off balance by loudly declaring what's ''really'' on his mind: Sara. Of course, that's when the "broadcast" part kicks in, letting ''everybody'' in the entire Exodus know it too (Sara included, of course).
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', [[ArcVillain Brain]] tells Cobra he did well against Natsu while Cobra can hear him thinking [[YouHaveFailedMe otherwise.]] Brain actually ''[[SubvertedTrope did]]'' know Cobra could hear him and said what he did [[FauxAffablyEvil simply to mock Cobra.]]
* Manabe [[DefiedTrope defies]] this in ''Manga/KotouraSan'' Episode 7 by not telling anybody else about his plans since his girlfriend is a {{telepath|y}} who should not know his BigSecret until TheReveal. Afterwards, he [[DiscussedTrope admits this]] as the reason behind his suspicious behavior to work around her PowerIncontinence issue, and quite literally at that.

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''. Spidey meets Storm, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde, and Jean makes the [[TemptingFate mistake]] of congratulating him on not mentally picturing her naked. [[SchmuckBait Naturally]], [[ThoughtAversionFailure this causes him]] to do so... ''[[OverlyLongGag for the next 3 pages]]'', as she gets progressively more annoyed.
-->'''Jean Grey''': In fact, you're the first person in six months that hasn't pictured me naked, so I appreciate that... until now. Are you done yet?
-->'''Spider-Man''': ...okay, I'm done. (Jean glares angrily at him) ...okay now I'm ''really'' done.
* Occurred in the first issue of the ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' Zero Hour reboot, where Live Wire, upon meeting Saturn Girl, had a number of embarrassing thoughts about her before noticing the Saturn insignia that marked her as a Titanian telepath. In a later issue, he starts daydreaming about her while actually on Titan and ''surrounded'' by telepaths.
* Franchise/{{Superman}} Expy the Plutonian from the comic series ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'' has superhuman hearing. While not the same as telepathy, it allows him to hear what everyone on earth is saying about him, ''all the time''. For the record when he goes evil, one of the first things he does is kill the ''actual'' telepath among the heroes, keeping them from finding out more about who he is and forming a counter-strategy.
* Doctor Nemesis of ''[[ComicBook/XMen X-Club]]'' gets saddled with this problem after a telepathic starfish bonds to his head and starts broadcasting his internal monologues. He and Doctor Rao discovered the starfish was telepathic when it broadcasted that Doctor Nemesis frequently admires Doctor Rao's "shapely behind". The starfish later broadcasts Nemesis' jealousy of Cyclops' costume, his craving for his co-worker Jeffries' friendship, and the fact that he's making up half the gibberish he comes out with.

* [[http://dilbert.com/strip/1993-05-19 In this]] ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' cartoon, he's dating a telepath. He tries to reassure her his thoughts are completely normal for a guy... [[spoiler:well, maybe not that last one]]. In the book, Scott Adams's commentary on the cartoon reads, "It's probably a good idea women don't know what men are thinking most of the time."

* Inverted in ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}'', where [[NotUsedToFreedom Tom]] sometimes addresses his thoughts to a [[PuppeteerParasite Yeerk]] that's no longer there.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/29152848/chapters/71570283 Plague Ship]] has Kirk and Spock mentally linked so that the latter can protect his non-telepathic captain from the effects of the titular insanity plague. Only, Kirk seems to have some trouble keeping his thoughts on strictly mission-relevant matters...
--> Spock (mind voice betraying slight amusement): You need not concentrate so hard, sir. Our minds are linked. I can hear you think.
-->Kirk: Oh.
-->([[OhCrap Looks like he’s trying to replay exactly what he had thought in the last few moments]] and apparently rather embarrassed)
-->Kirk (mind voice): Um, you know human thoughts have this habit of going off on weird tangents, right? Especially when things are getting tense…[[DirtyMindReading That bit about Risa…]]
-->Spock (amused tolerance of a stuck-babysitting-elder-brother): Your plans for the next shore leave are no concern of mine, Jim. And [[NoJustNoReaction no, I certainly will not]] be accompanying you – [[NotDistractedByTheSexy the forms of entertainment offered at Risa holds no appeal for me.]]
* Harry tends to grumble about this in the sequel of ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', thanks to his powerful PsychicPowers and the fact that he lives in a school full of [[HormoneAddledTeenager teenagers]]. To make things even [[SarcasmMode better]], by the time the powers are more or less mastered, Harry himself is TallDarkAndHandsome, quite muscular due to lots of BoxingLessonsForSuperman, and a literal PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor (even if there's some KnightInSourArmor tendencies there as well), leading to lots of said {{Hormone Addled Teenager}}s perving on ''him.''
* Inverted and then played straight in ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone: The Soft World''. Every time the four encounter someone they think is a telepath, they think nasty things at him or her, with no result. Until John, telepathically speaking with Trelayna, realizes what a whack job she is—and she immediately starts chiding him for slandering her with his half-formed thoughts and ideas.
** Also, after their unnerving discussion with the Pyar gods, the four have an anguished telepathic conference where the possibility of losing their souls comes up:
--->'''Ringo:''' THIS WOULD BE THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR ME! DON'T YOU SEE? THIS WAY I CAN HAVE EVERYTHING! I DON'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE ANYTHING!
--->'''George:''' Except your soul, maybe, but what's a soul compared to all that other stuff?
--->'''Ringo:''' GO FUCK YOURSELF, GEORGE.
--->'''George:''' You know I'm right. And I know you know I'm right. You can't hide it here, we all feel it off you. You're like a big emotional lighthouse.
--->'''Ringo:''' … AHH, FUCK.

* Played for serious dramatic effect in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', wherein key members of the corrupt government's parliament are brought in to observe a SuperSoldier in the making. What everyone forgot is that the prototype soldier's brain had also been experimented on to make her a psychic, which led to a dangerous secret leaking out, and [[spoiler: the Operative being unleashed to do everything in his power to murder an escaped River.]]
* For some reason, this keeps happening in ''Film/WhatWomenWant'', even though most of the female characters have no idea Mel Gibson's character has gained telepathy. One of the more painful examples has to be Helen Hunt's character thinking, "Oh, God, I just stared at his crotch!" -- and ''covering her eyes'', because that does ''not'' look suspicious at all.
* In ''Film/MinorityReport'' main character Anderton kidnaps one of the three children used to predict future crimes and brings her to somebody to have her mind scanned, who wastes no time in wondering out loud if she's reading his mind right now and then blurts out this little gem: "Those thoughts about my cousin Elena, those were '''just''' - '''thoughts'''!"

* Something along these lines happens in ''Literature/TheWitcher'' to Geralt. Because of his time spent with Yennefer, Geralt has become quite capable of handling the ubiquitous ability of sorcerers to read minds, even learning what it feels like when your mind is read. He is also aware that Yennefer loses control of her mind reading when she orgasms. In one scene he fills his thoughts with romantic pleasant imagery after having sex (waterfalls, fields of flowers, etc), unfortunately his mind wanders too far, and he lets slip the thought of him and Yennefer settling down in a cottage, and living like normal villagers/townsfolk. Geralt immediately regrets this and tries to cover it up, but Yennefer caught it and teases him relentlessly afterwards.
* The Literature/{{Animorphs}} morphed into an alien creature that can read minds, and so the four characters who were present at the time were all suddenly thrust into the position of being able to hear all of each other's thoughts -- and, of course, knowing that the others could read their thoughts. The narrating character, Ax, describes the other characters' private thoughts at that moment in much more detail than his own; this is probably explained by the fact that the Animorphs engage in DirectLineToTheAuthor. (Certainly we can assume that Ax's overheard thoughts were just as [[DeusAngstMachina angsty]] as those of the other characters). Fortunately they quickly figure out how to turn it off. Marco breaks the tension of the moment by saying:
-->"I would like you all to know that whatever thoughts of mine you're reading are totally made up. They aren't real."
* The [[OurVampiresAreDifferent sparkly, occasionally psychic vampires]] in ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' seem to experience a slight degree of this -- grossly inflated in {{Fanon}} for cheap jokes. (Edward being forced to listen in on his vampire parents having vampire sex... squick! Of course, they're fully aware. Or... ''"Dear diary... today I made Carlisle think he was in love with Edward. AGAIN! Laterz ~ Jasper."'' )
* Subverted in the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series: villain Opal Koboi has her none-too-bright henchmen convinced to the point of paranoia that she can read minds, simply by turning on them at random and shrieking "I heard that!"
** Right up until one of them decides to test her with the thought "Holly Short is prettier than you" and gets no real reaction.
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', a male and female channeler accidentally form a PsychicLink strong enough to read each other's minds, then later [[MindlinkMates fall in love]]. As the man [[BusmansVocabulary reflects]] that some women are like expensive cloth (pretty but fragile), but his girl is tough like leather, the woman asks, "Did you just compare me to...an old strap of leather?"
* Almost used in the first Literature/CiaphasCain ([[MemeticMutation HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!]]) novel when he realizes that Amberley Vail is a member of the Inquisition. His first thought is that she's a psyker, and is utterly terrified that she can read his mind, and will expose all the lies of his [[strike:completely undeserved]] reputation as a Hero. Turns out she's not a psyker, just really good at reading people.
** Later he finds out psykers can't just read people's minds like that, unless they want to (and kill the person).
** Besides, he most often stays in [[UndyingLoyalty Gunner]] [[BumblingSidekick Ferik]] [[BattleButler Jurgen's]] [[AntiMagic area of effect]].
** He also needn't worry because although Amberley Vail is an Inquisitor, she knows enough about the universe that any self-serving cowardice that doesn't directly count as treason is perfectly justifiable. She also has a soft spot for him.
* OlderThanFeudalism: In the Literature/BookOfGenesis, Sarah hears one of the guests saying she will have a child in her very old age and laughs in her heart. Then, that guest tells her husband (a softened up version of) what she thought -- and Sarah realizes she was laughing at [[AngelUnaware the all-knowing God]]...

* A dramatic version from ''Series/{{Angel}}'', where Lorne can read people's auras and thoughts when they sing. Wesley is meant to be taking baby Connor for the night, picking him up from current babysitter Lorne, but actually plans on kidnapping him (for complicated, if well-intentioned, reasons). He nearly escapes without suspicion, but when Connor starts to fuss Wesley unconsciously hums a lullaby to him, before meeting Lorne's eye and [[OhCrap realizing Lorne was reading his thoughts]].
* Used completely straight in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' between Audrey and the telepathic Matt.
* ''Series/TheXFiles'': Subverted in the episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS03E04ClydeBruckmansFinalRepose Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose]]". After being shooed out of a room by a TV psychic for his "negative energy", Mulder meets the psychic in the hallway and shows him what negative energy really is with three words: "Read this thought." However, Mr. Yappi's status as a PhonyPsychic is deliberately [[NotSoPhonyPsychic played to be ambiguous]]. He replies "[[YourMom So's your old man]]!" Therefore, it's possibly DoubleSubverted.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** In one episode, resident telepath Talia Winters is explaining to someone that telepaths sometimes cannot avoid picking up particularly strong emotions and thoughts before entering a lift with Security Chief Garibaldi. Talia elbows Garibaldi in the gut before getting off. Garibaldi responds with, "I think I'm in love."
** One of them later mentions that they have to constantly recite poems/songs/whatever in their minds in order to keep from picking up every superficial thought. Then a group of rogue telepaths go on to blackmail people by telling them something along the lines of: "We followed every one of you for the past x days. Think, what we might know about you....".
** In another episode, Garibaldi is having an argument with the Psi Cop [[SmugSnake Bester]], and as Garibaldi glares at him, Bester says, "[[ScrewYourself Anatomically impossible]], Mr. Garibaldi, but you're welcome to try, anytime."
** In another episode, the effect is evoked deliberately by maneuvering a kidnapping suspect into Talia's presence and "cautioning" him not to think about irrelevant facts such as the current location of the kidnapping victim.
** And exploited in another episode, where Garibaldi rescues some people from telepathic pursuers by telling them to keep thinking about where he says he's taking them, but actually taking them someplace else entirely.
* ''Something Is Out There'' (a short-lived sci-fi series on NBC). The alien protagonist Ta'Ra is telepathic; unfortunately she's also a hot chick so she's constantly angry over how these Earth people want to [[DirtyMindReading "do that with her body."]] (her species has a [[BizarreAlienBiology somewhat different way of making love]]).
* In the ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' episode "Greeks Bearing Gifts", when Toshiko gets hold of an alien device that enables her to read minds she's disgusted at the petty thoughts of her co-workers, more than a little upset about [[spoiler: Gwen and Owen's selfish affair]], and surprised by Ianto's pain. However, when she's unable to read Captain Jack's mind (unless he wants her to), she's seriously freaked out.
** Jack has never told his team members about his past as a Temporal Agent. Given the real threat of telepathy to such an agent, it's likely that all of them receive training. Even Torchwood One members receive enough training to be able to see through weak psychic influences.
* ''Series/MutantX'' had an episode where Emma had to fully open her mind, Jesse's thoughts are never shown explicitly but we're shown imaginary-Emma had also stripped off her shirt, leaving just the tank top underneath.
* Kelly from ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' is an involuntary telepath, and ''always'' seems to hone in specifically on Nathan's thoughts just as he's thinking something that ''really'' would've been best kept private. His panicky attempts to "control" his thought processes usually only make things worse. His fear is certainly justified though. Often he's just fantasizing about sex, leading to mild embarrassment when he's overheard, but occasionally it's [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead something even worse]] and Kelly -- being a rather... ''[[TsunDere boisterous]]'' young lady -- is more than likely to unthinkingly blurt out whatever secret she's just heard, or simply beat the crap out of him if his thoughts particularly offend her.
* Lwaxana Troi of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' loves pointing out embarrassing thoughts non-telepaths around her are thinking just to watch them squirm. On the other hand, she might just be making things up because she thinks it's funny and nobody has evidence to refute her.

-->'''Missouri:''' Get the mop, child...and don't cuss at me!

* Mint Blancmanche from ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' is a mind-reader, which lets her manipulate people very easily; in the ''VideoGame/GalaxyAngel'' gameverse and its manga retelling, though, her telepathy is more prone to putting her in these situations with crew members. The third game switches it around -- something happens with her powers so that ''she'' is broadcasting her thoughts to the entire crew, including some not-so-nice comments about her fellow Angels.
* Played straight, if externally, in ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}'', when Kerrigan cuts short her introduction to berate Jim Raynor on the thoughts he was having about her:
-->'''Kerrigan:''' ...and... you pig!
-->'''Raynor:''' Uhhh, what? I... I didn't even say anything to you yet!
-->'''Kerrigan:''' Yeah, but you were thinking about it.
-->'''Raynor:''' Oh, yeah, you're a telepath. Look, let's just get on with this, all right?
** The first three lines were lifted almost directly from an episode of ''Series/NightCourt''. Christine isn't a telepath, however, she just knows Fielding has a dirty mind. Fielding's final line is a slow "Fair enough..." while nodding and grinning slyly.

-->'''Lili''': (thinking) When are you going to shut up and kiss me?
-->'''Raz''': Uhh... I can hear that, you know.
-->'''Lili''': (flirtatiously) I know...
* Satori from ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' is a mindreader, to the point where nobody else will come near her. However, it's a bit of a surprise to the heroines when she's able to listen in on their thoughts -- and in [[KleptomaniacHero Marisa's]] case:
-->'''Alice''': We still have a long way to go. Let's go the depths of the underworld. Hang in there!
-->'''Satori''': "Before that, let's search the house...." you think. I won't allow that! Please head to the courtyard immediately.
-->'''Marisa''': Damn.
* In ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' everyone in Paragon City seems to forget that it's pointless to try to keep things from Sister Psyche' since she is stuck listening to surface thoughts all day every day anyway.

* The ''ComicStrip/ThePerryBibleFellowship'' comic [[http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF160-The_Dreamcatcher3000.gif "The Dreamcatcher 3000."]]
* ''Webcomic/TheLastDaysOfFoxhound''
-->'''Naomi:''' (Yeah, I'll fix you up ''real'' good, you stupid won't-die son of a bitch...)\\
'''Mantis:''' Hello? Mind reader floating ''right here''.

** [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] near the end of the comic. When Liquid executes Scratch, FOXHOUND's computer hacking specialist, for [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovering]] the upcoming [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Shadow Moses terror plot]], Ocelot comments that his partner Eddie will certainly notice Scratch's absence. Liquid states that he'll kill him too before suddenly remembering that Eddie's a psychic and therefore will see an ambush coming. Liquid has Mantis, a much more powerful psychic who overpowers Eddie's powers, [[SubvertedTrope ambush him instead.]]
* [[http://nonadventures.com/2009/02/28/its-coppering-time/ This]] ''[[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella Wonderella]]'' strip. Not so much an "Oh God did she just hear that" as an "Oh crap, she totally heard that".
* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob--'' [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/488 Riboflavin realizes Bob has overheard his tragic origin story.]]
* This is the classic trope for ''Webcomic/ThinkBeforeYouThink''. It happens numerous times, but especially [[http://thinkbeforeyouthink.net/?comic=20090822-think-before-you-think here]].
* ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'': Forgot about the ENTIRE SCHOOL of mind readers.
-->'''Dan''': (thinking) "I mean, what all can Cubi really do? Can they control elements? What are they prone to? Can they read minds?"
-->Ten surrounding Cubi, in unison: "YES!"
* Inverted in a ''Webcomic/BallerinaMafia'' [[http://ballerinamafia.net/index.php?pid=20101020 comic]] where a mummy curses an archaeologist by announcing to everyone nearby whatever's on his mind.

* Used in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' when Peter turns the microphone on a listening device up way too high, allowing everyone to hear Quagmire's thoughts. Including himself.
-->'''Quagmire:''' Man, this itches. I wonder who gave it to me. Probably that skank who needed a ride to the gas station. Last time I do somebody a favor. ...Oh god, they must have heard me. Oh god, ''I'' can hear me! [[PsychicStatic Nananananananana!]]"

-->'''Miss Martian''': He can hear you. We can ''all'' hear you.
-->'''Artemis''': Oh, I know.
%%* Subverted in a one-off gag in ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
%%-->'''Klaus:''' Stick-in-the-mud bitch.\\
%%'''Hayley:''' Klaus, I can hear you.\\
%%'''Klaus:''' I know. I'm insulting you. I'm pissed!