History Main / TheWorldIsNotReady

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In ''Valley of the Shadow,'' the residents of the small town of Peaceful Valley are possess technology hundreds of years more advanced than the outside world: molecular assemblers, teleporters, force fields, short-range time reversal, etc. They were granted this technology by a mysterious visitor a hundred and four years earlier, who gave it to them and told them not to share it with the rest of the world until "mankind learned the ways of peace." And then Phillip Redfield accidentally stumbles into town...

* Batman comes to this conclusion several times in ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga''. In the [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises third movie]], Alfred [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out]] on the fact that he seems to apply this to ''everything''. Sure, we can understand the world not being ready for a [[BigBrotherIsWatching super-advanced sonar spy system]] or a fusion reactor that can be turned into a multi-megaton bomb, but you're not willing to give the police a wi-fi hacking device?

* Justification for [[Series/{{Thunderbirds}} International Rescue]] keeping their technology to themselves.

* ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'': "The Return of Count Duckula" uses scenes from "The Four Tasks of Danger Mouse" in flashback to recount DM's meeting with the vampire duck. Duckula, [[Foreshadowing who wants his own TV show]], doesn't impress DM who tells him "The world isn't quite ready for you yet."

** To say nothing of the Reapers, of course; one of the big reasons the Council denies their existence is to prevent the galaxy from descending into panic. [[spoiler: Not that they'd need to cover it up in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', of course...]]

* ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'' implies this trope at the end. Laser technology that can open up a [[{{Cyberspace}} whole new dimension]]? An entire civilization of artificial life forms? Human "Users" becoming {{Physical God}}s worshiped by those life forms? Unfortunately, [[AGodAmI Thorne]] and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive F-Con]] exploited all of it in the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters worst way possible]], trying to enslave the Programs and have unlimited access to state secrets, global finance, and media to rule both worlds. Jet and Alan lock down the laser and the necessary algorithims to run it ''very'' tightly after they return to analog.
-->'''Jet:''' If anyone's crude, it's ''us''. We're not ready to exist here. Not yet, anyway.''

* After his invention which opens a gateway between the the fictional world of Television and the real world causing [[HilarityEnsues hilarity to ensue]] Professor Bonkers feels this way about his own genius in ''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldShow''

* Some episodes of the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' cartoon have the Marios try to introduce modern inventions and ideas to the local cave people. Depending on what it was, this trope would be in effect; For example, Mario gives them the wheel, but goes too far and builds them cars from BambooTechnology. The resulting mess makes no one happy. Invoked in another episode where King Koopa introduces television (Actually Magikoopas in boxes) to brainwash the people.

* The main reason why ''Theater/TheRiteOfSpring'' caused such a riot was because it was meant for the ears of 1940 rather than those of 1913. Interestingly, it also appeared [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} somewhere else]] in 1940...

* In a Series 8 episode of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark publicly reveals himself to be "The Blur". After things initally go well for him, eventually however, his inability to be ''everywhere'' causes the public to descend upon him in an angry mob, blaming him for deaths he's failed to prevent. He retreats back to the farm, only for the military to arrive, attempting to apprehend him for study and experimentation. Clark is eventually forced to use a [[ChekhovsGun Legion Ring]] to go back in time to avert that reality, deciding that the world clearly wasn't ready for him just yet.

** Note that even in those universes most people ''still'' won't believe in magic, even with magic-using heroes operating openly; they are considered metahumans and liars. This is best known with Doctor Thirteen of DC Comics. Originally a skeptic from the Golden Age would debunk so-called magicians, he is now portrayed as a skeptic who's disbelief of magic is so strong that he actively causes magic around him to not work (ironically enough, his own daughter, Traci Thirteen is a magic user while the Doctor actualy dated Zatanna for a while, simply thinking she was just a very good magician.) As of New52, he's more of a scientist trying to study magic analytically, but the skeptic role has gone to ''his'' dad, the original Doctor.

* This trope is used profusely by the Knights Templar/Abstergo Industries in ''VideoGame/Assassin'sCreed''. They believe that if humans ever found out the truth about the Isu AKA Those Who Came Before, there will be world wide panic.

* In ''Literature/TerraIgnota'', the adults of Bridger's bash' keep Bridger and the fact that he can work miracles very secret. Part of this is because Bridger is still a child, but they also want to map out his ability and develop his personality as much as possible before revealing him to the world. Not only is his ability exceptionally dangerous -- there's nothing preventing Bridger from taking a vial that says "world-ending plague" and making it real --, but they know people won't believe it even if they see it with their own eyes.

** In a more mundane example, an episode set in 1969 features an FBI agent thrown out of the service because of who he wants to marry. After he helps save the world, President [[UsefulNotes/RichardNixon Nixon]] concludes that she must be black and says he might be able to hep with the legal issue, since the US seems to be ready for mixed-race marriage. The ex-agent then corrects him, saying ''he'' is black. Nixon decides that landing on the moon is far enough.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' "The Flame-keeper's Circle", Julie tries to convince Ben that wide-spread alien technology could benefit the Earth. Ben warns her that it could ''destroy'' Earth instead. It's happened before to other planets, and one of the reasons the Plumbers exist is to prevent it from happening again.
** Also shown in the premiere of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' when [[SpacePolice Magister Labrid]] tried to stop the Forever Knights from obtaining alien laser lances which were above Earth's technology level. His reasons are shown when one knight attempted to use a damaged lance on Labrid and Kevin, only to be blown to bits.

** Also shown in the premiere of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' when Magister Labrid tried to stop the Royal Knights from obtaining alien lances which were above Earth's technology level. His reasons are shown when one knight attempted to use a damaged lance on Labrid and Kevin, only to be blown to bits.
-->'''Magister Labrid''': ''(To Kevin)'' ''That's'' why Level 5 technology isn't allowed on Earth. Humans aren't ready for it.

* Subverted in ''Anime/{{Transformers}}: Cybertron''. Optimus Prime refuses to throw off the masquerade and have the Autobots attempt to join with the humans in an alliance, even in the midst of a full-out Decepticon attack on Earth, thinking that humanity would feel betrayed when they found out alien robots had been hiding among them. Not so, it turns out. The [[TheMenInBlack Men in Black]] types that had earlier seemed threatening turn out to be a force for good, and play a role in turning the tide. It's a warm fuzzy moment for everyone but the Decepticons.

** Played straight by almost any hero with proprietary technology. Comicbook/IronMan in particular is perpetually concerned about his technology falling into the wrong hands -- which has happened, repeatedly, both in the form of villains stealing it to build weapons, and in the case of Tony honestly sharing some of it with the government only for them to end up misusing it.

** Note that even in those universes most people ''still'' won't believe in magic, even with magic-using heroes operating openly; they are considered metahumans and liars.

** "Deathwalker" A notorious Dilgar war criminal has a medication that will give a person immortality. She later sadistically reveals that the essential components [[PoweredByAForsakenChild come from other beings of sapient species]]. Thus she intends to throw the various civilizations into murderous chaos in revenge. However, just as she is transported to Earth to give her medication and carry out her revenge, a Vorlon ship suddenly appears and destroys her ship, her and her medication. When the Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, is asked why that was done, he simply responds "[[YouSuck You are not ready for immortality]]". [[FridgeLogic Of course]], it also denied everyone the opportunity to study the process and do research that could have ''eliminated'' that flaw. And considering how the Vorlons ended up treating the younger races, it could be a case of "we don't want you to have what makes ''us'' special."