Line #102 Main/MindOverManners


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11	So you've got a character with awesome PsychicPowers, up to and including [[{{Telepathy}} mind reading]] and [[{{Brainwashed}} control]]. Problem is, he isn't into BadPowersBadPeople, but prior stories show how TheDarkSide can oh so ''very'' easily corrupt individuals who use these gifts irresponsibly. What's more, the powers will make them akin to a DeusExMachina if they go [[MindRape Mind Raping]], [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memory wiping]], or even "just" [[BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood making pacifists out of their enemies]]. Allies will be paranoid and afraid of them; suspecting that their own thoughts are heard or not their own, or are being manipulated by mundane means (telepaths are rarely dumb; their ESP seems to come with [[BrainCriticalMass lots of IQ]]). And if they ''don't'' use their powers in that manner, expect cries of ReedRichardsIsUseless and MisappliedPhlebotinum.
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13	So how do you justify people like ComicBook/ProfessorX or ComicBook/MartianManhunter being good guys, without having them solve the plot and mind-wipe the RoguesGallery, all while avoiding sappy {{Fantastic Aesop}}s intended to [[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum hold back the phlebotinum]]?
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15	Why, you make them the most damn ethical, trustworthy and scrupulous characters you can find, that's what! Sure, there will always be that lingering "are they really practicing what they preach?" doubt, but giving them an overall ethical attitude and behavior keeps up WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.
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17	They can delve a little into the grey area in telepathy, but wading too deep into murky waters (while excellent drama) has the downside of heralding a [[FaceHeelTurn full fall from grace]] or being PutOnABus while they sort out their ethics. Usually they can get away with [[FakeMemories "white lies"]] and [[LaserGuidedAmnesia forgotten memories]], a little mind control [[GodzillaThreshold if the alternative is worse]], but never MindRape or [[DeathOfPersonality destroying a personality]].
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19	A common justification is that they [[PowerIncontinence can't turn their abilities off]]: the thoughts and emotions of their fellows are as much of a constant to them as water is to a fish. If they are mistrusted and feared, they can't escape from it; the best they can do is demonstrate that they ''can'' be trusted not to misuse their gift. Compare and contrast AMindIsATerribleThingToRead, a trope that serves as a CynicismCatalyst for many telepaths.
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21	This also gets to be an ElephantInTheLivingRoom when mindwipes are used to protect the {{Masquerade}}, especially when it seems like it's more for convenience and not necessity.
22	----
23	!!Examples:
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25	[[foldercontrol]]
26
27	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
28	* ''Anime/CodeGeass'''s protagonist Lelouch falls under this for most of the series; he has no problem forcing his enemies to commit suicide or sacrificing potential allies for a strategic advantage, but he holds free will in high regard and goes to great lengths to amass his army of followers without using his HypnoticEyes to influence them, which would have made the job far easier. When he starts [[spoiler:using his powers to enslave people indefinitely]], it's a sign of [[DespairEventHorizon just how far he's fallen into despair]] -- at the moment it was the ''only'' way he could continue fighting, and entirely necessary in order for him to [[spoiler:prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]]. When that is averted, he continues to do so [[spoiler:out of both a combination of still needing a military to fight against Schneizel's NukeEm all plan, and as part of his GenghisGambit to make himself the evilest tyrant in history before having himself killed as atonement. Extra materials revealed that after he died, Jeremiah used his [[AntiMagic Geass Canceler]] to return every brainwashed solder to normal, so even in the end Lelouch meant for everything to be temporary]].
29	* ''Manga/KotouraSan'': [[DownerBeginning In her backstory]], Haruka Kotoura is a born {{Telepath\|y}} that can't tell the difference between thoughts and speech because her telepathy is [[PowerIncontinence always on]]. Ergo, she had no sense of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatemae Tatemae]] (and still doesn't sometimes). That, along with being a curious CheerfulChild, she unknowingly hurt everybody around her, which made her socially shunned and even broke up her family. [[PresentDay Later on]], she {{invoke\|dTrope}}s this to convincingly pose as a jerk to keep people away from her as a means to defend herself emotionally.
30	* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
31	** Subverted when Negi was going to wipe Asuna's mind after she finds out he's a mage (in the first episode no less!), though he had to do it because it's actually ''better than the other option,'' or at least more ethical.
32	** The mages themselves partially admit this by outlawing things like love potions.
33	** Played completely straight with Nodoka, whose mind-reading abilities make her one of the most feared of the TrueCompanions, leading at least Haruna to wonder if she uses it for more [[CovertPervert "sordid"]] practices. The other characters theorize that she was given one of the more unsettling powers because of her [[ShrinkingViolet shy attitude]] and [[NiceGirl sheer kindness]].
34	** Mage Society in general was a little too gung-ho in mind-wiping any {{muggles}} who were inconvenient. After a ''[[ReedRichardsIsUseless war]]'' over the subject and no clear answer, the plot thread was put on the back burner for the [[MagicalLand Magic World]] arc.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Comic Books]]
38	* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'': PlayedForDrama with Doctor Strange, who has moral lines he does ''not'' want to cross but occasionally has to in order to save the world. Similar to ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'' mentioned below, he once mind-wipes ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's memory when Cap discovers the Illuminati and objects to their course of action. Cap is absolutely pissed when his memory is restored and goes on a nearly self-destructive warpath trying to take them down.
39	* ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'': Mind████ used her psychic powers on herself to prevent herself from becoming like her brother.
40	* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': Subverted with Hal Jordan, as he frequently uses his power ring to not only read minds but to wipe memories, particularly anytime someone learns his or someone else's secret identity. It's so prevalent that he even lampshades it in an issue when a villain reveals his and [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]]'s secret [=IDs=] to their respective [=SOs=] of the time, noting how even he's getting tired of that corny routine from having done it so often. He at least once uses his power ring to force someone to walk into a police station and confess to framing him for a crime because it's easier for him than trying to prove his innocence in more legal ways.
41	* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': In ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'', it's revealed that several members of the league mind-wiped their enemies and many friends to protect their secret identities and their families.
42	* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': In ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfLightningLad'', Saturn Girl needs to be chosen leader in order to bench the whole Legion (long story), so she telepathically "nudges" all Legionnaires into voting for her. In that same story, Lori Lemaris reads ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s mind without asking permission only because she is wondering where the Girl of Steel is going.
43	* ''ComicBook/PsiForce'': This is generally averted by Wayne Tucker, who in addition to the combat uses of his psychic powers, routinely erased the memories of both bad guys and bystanders, psychically coerced people into doing things like giving him rides wherever he needed to go, and occasionally invaded his teammates' minds without permission. (Some of these instances are understandable given that he was one of a group of runaway teenagers trying to evade a shadowy organization that apparently wanted them dead; some of them, not so much.)
44	* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': In one issue after [[spoiler:Aunt May finds out that Peter is Spidey's secret identity, Kitty begs Jean to use her powers to erase the discovery from Aunt May's mind. All of the other X-Men tell Kitty that this is not a good idea]]. Subverted in a different issue when Xavier performs some sort of telepathic sedation on a super-powered foreign exchange student. Spider-Man asks if doing that was ethical, and Xavier admits that it probably wasn't. (The student did nearly kill Spidey, Kitty, Jean, Storm, and himself when he woke up in the X-Jet and blew a hole in it -- sedating him was probably the safest course of action.)
45	* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
46	** In the 1960s, Professor X did things like wipe the existence of teenaged Hank [=McCoy=] from the memory of everyone who ever knew him, ''[[ParentalAbandonment including his parents]]''. Later it was retconned he is too ethical to do such things, but altering memories to preserve the X-Men's {{Secret Identit\|y}}ies was practically a [[OncePerEpisode Once Per Issue]] thing during the original run. A contrast is seen between Xavier and a psychic with no concept of Mind Over Manners in the ''X-Men''/''ComicBook/ClanDestine'' crossover: Kay (eldest daughter of the Destines) tries to rudely [[MuggingTheMonster invade Xavier's mind]] to find out what the X-Men's deal is, even [[TemptingFate going so far]] as to say she's doing it out loud. Xavier (who is several centuries her junior) responds with the psychic equivalent of a rolled-up newspaper to the face, an admonishment of her lack of ethics (and crudity of the attempt), and a subtle warning that he could and would do far worse if she tried that again.
47	** Teen Jean Grey in ''ComicBook/AllNewXMen'': her telepathy shows up unexpectedly due to the stress of seeing the future and knowing her future self dies (more than once). Kitty has to repeatedly remind her it's considered extremely impolite to read minds without permission. Jean apologizes, but her curiosity gets the better of her quite a bit -- the fact that she's an incredibly powerful telepath with no control also means that she picks things up without meaning to: at one point, mid freak-out after finding out about Wanda's "No More Mutants" moment and being admonished by Kitty for going looking, she replies that she didn't -- Wanda's mind was screaming it out, as if it was all she thinks of. Sometimes it is PlayedForLaughs, sometimes it leads to awkward moments, but most times [[WhatTheHellHero she can't believe what people have done]]. She gets better by the time she meets [[ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan Miles Morales]], and becomes steadily more controlled and ethical as time goes on.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Fan Works]]
51	* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
52	** Professor Xavier, Betsy Braddock, Jean Grey, and, once his powers come through, Harry, are all scrupulous about this. In Harry's case, it's in large part because he's terrified of going off the deep end, or -- being enormously powerful and even after extensive tutoring, aware of how ignorant he is of the full scope of his powers -- unconsciously/accidentally influencing those around him (particularly [[spoiler:Carol, after their PsychicLink is established]]).
53	** Other psychics, such as Voldemort, Sinister, and [[spoiler:Maddie Pryor]] before her HeelFaceTurn, all ''don't'' subscribe to this mentality (in [[spoiler:Maddie]]'s case, she was raised to have BlueAndOrangeMorality by Sinister and genuinely didn't know), and demonstrate it, with the side-effects being described in lovingly horrific detail. For instance, MindRape is compared to actual rape (and psychic manners in general to physical consent), and the FreakyFridayFlip is, unusually, played for NightmareFuel.
54	** A more morally grey example is provided by the Askani, who taught Xavier a lot of the fine detail of his powers, and while they're not villainous, are described as not being overly ethical when pursuing their own interests.
55	** Xavier himself, as mentioned, is usually the gold standard for this trope, but when getting answers from Sinister he coldly threatens to "peel his [Sinister's] mind like an orange". Sinister, wisely, starts talking.
56	* ''Fanfic/DownToAgincourt'' has a woman who's recently developed telepathy. She meets Castiel, who casually mentions that if she's been [[MindRape manipulating people with her powers]], [[BlueAndOrangeMorality he'll kill her]]. In addition to being scared of him, she is appalled that anyone would suspect she might do such a thing.
57	* Played with in ''Fanfic/InTheGrimDarknessOfThe41stMillenniumNobodyBeatsGIJoe'': Meridian Septentrion, an Imperium sanctioned psyker, ''can't'' read minds, but many soldiers he encounters assume he can; he has a long history of people threatening him with bodily harm and death if he ever reveals their secrets, ''even though he doesn't know their secrets''.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
61	* ''Franchise/MenInBlack'':
62	** In ''Film/MenInBlack'', J is not happy with K being so trigger-happy with the Neuralizer and even asks at one point if K ever used it on him. K denies it, though we saw him use it on J at the beginning of the film.
63	** In ''Film/MenInBlackII'', J gets a reputation for neuralizing people recklessly, mostly his partners. He's had good reasons each time, though. Although from the looks of things in the first movie (specifically when they're in the morgue the first time), he learned it from K.
64	** Averted in ''Film/MenInBlack3'', where the neuralizer is used frequently on large portions of the public and not treated as ethically problematic.
65	* Subverted by Spock in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''. We don't know what exactly he did to Valeris, [[MindRape but it clearly wasn't pleasant]].
66	* Jedi in ''Franchise/StarWars''. Although played out as light teasing, Padmé asks Anakin if he intends to use a mind trick on her when she's reluctant to tell him about past boyfriends.
67	* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
68	** Traditionally, Professor Xavier is an absolute example of this, but not exclusively -- ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' reveals that he messed with Jean's memories when she was a child to deal with the [[SuperpoweredEvilSide personality known as the Phoenix]], which Logan calls him out on, and which eventually backfires spectacularly. ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' presented a much younger, less disciplined Charles Xavier who had no problem using his powers on anyone whenever it was convenient for him. That being said, he doesn't go into personally private memories, promised Raven that he wouldn't read her mind, and asked for Erik's permission before searching for the brightest corner of his friend's memories -- though he ''does'' erase Moira's memories, either to protect her following the events of Cuba or to demonstrate his power to the CIA and warn them to back off (or both).
69	** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' has him grow out of this, learning to let go and let people make their own choices, Raven especially. Additionally, in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', he repudiates Apocalypse's plans to use his telepathy to completely violate every principle of this and restores Moira's memories with an apology.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Literature]]
73	* The alien "Hydrans" in Creator/JoanDVinge's ''Cat'' trilogy evolved with their powers, and this trope was a natural side effect. If a Hydran makes someone else unhappy, they feel unhappy. If they cause someone else pain, they feel pain. If they ''kill'' someone else, they ''die''. This resulted in their civilization being positively {{Utopia}}n... until humans showed up. At first, humans were overjoyed to have such nice neighbors, and by some quirk, they were even [[HalfHumanHybrid genetically compatible]]. Eventually, however, the [[HumansAreBastards Bastards among us]] realized that those fail-safes still applied -- ''but only to Hydrans and Hydran/Human hybrids''. Humanity simply took their entire civilization away from them, and they were unable to do anything about it.
74	* ''Literature/TheCulture'': Culture Minds combine unfathomable processing power with machines that can manipulate matter on the subatomic level, essentially giving them ''total'' mind-reading and brainwashing powers. However, the Culture also respects individual privacy so much that actually using this power is the closest thing there is to a crime in the Culture and will result in the Mind being ostracized even if it was done for the greater good. By way of example, the one Mind we come across that has done so is the ''GCU Grey Area'', which is now called ''Meatfucker'' by its peers.
75	* Discussed repeatedly and at length in the ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'' books, mostly by author favorites Camber and Morgan. All Deryni have some psychic ability, though it's generally low-powered and limited to close range. The good guys prefer to get permission before hacking into someone's mind, but they often drop the ethics when they're in a hurry.
76	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
77	** ''Any'' mind magic on others is MindRape, as the human psyche doesn't react well to being externally changed. Even neutralizing a heroin addiction is BlackMagic. Then again, the White Council regards mind magic as a very, very grey area and just prohibits it altogether, just to be on the safe side.
78	** It also seems to be legal to do diagnostic or corrective mental magic, providing you have the consent of the subject -- for example, in one of the books, a passing reference is made to systematic attempts to pinpoint and reverse a villain's subtle mind control in members of an organization. Also, Harry himself has engaged in some mental sparring with his apprentice, so as to practice their mental defenses. Oh, and the laws of magic only apply to humans -- MindRape on vampires or demons or whatever is totally fine.
79	** The Senior Council do relax their restrictions on mind magic once they're convinced that it's a danger members are likely to face, but since ''very'' few general wizards on the Council know more than the bare minimum about mind magic to properly protect themselves, it's kinda half-assed. Harry does get a few older wizards to hand out a few of the tricks they're figured out over the years.
80	** Demons and faeries and other such are protected by the sheer alienness of their minds. Try to read or manipulate the mind of a faerie and if you're ''very'' lucky you'll end up in the corner laughing at how everything is made of rainbows. (If you're unlucky, it will be something much nastier than rainbows.)
81	* ''Literature/FirebirdTrilogy'':
82	** The Sentinels have very strict, self-policed rules on how they are and are not allowed to use their telepathic powers. Penalties for violating the fundamental tenets of the Code range from having their powers blocked to execution. This Code keeps them "nice" and prevents the significantly more numerous non-telepathic people (among whom they live) from wiping them out due to mistrust.
83	** The Shuhr, a branch of the Sentinel people that do not share the Sentinel's Christian faith, and hence also do not share their codes of conduct, show us exactly why the Sentinels need to police themselves. A dozen forms of MindRape, from implantation of compulsions to erasing and/or rewriting memories to looking through an unwitting victim's eyes are routine among them, and they keep their powers from fading with age by pureeing the brains of their cloned embryos and synthesizing a telepathy booster from the result.
84	* [[IronicNickname Happy Jack Palmer]] from the ''Literature/GhostFinders'' series refrains from intentionally reading others' minds, unless it's crucial for success in a mission for the Carnacki Institute. Played with in that while his team lets people ''believe'' it's for reasons of this trope, it's really because A) reading others' minds intrudes upon ''his'' psyche as much as theirs, leaving him uncertain which thoughts are his own; B) the setting is chock full of otherworldly threats and Beings that he'd rather block out than open his mind to sensing, for fear he'll GoMadFromTheRevelation; and C) his Institute superiors threatened to lobotomize him if he didn't quit doing it.
85	* Played with in ''Literature/HarryPotter''; at least two teachers, Dumbledore and Snape, are known to be capable of [[MindProbe Legilimency]]. There's no proof that either ever used it beyond the [[LivingLieDetector casual ability to intuit if they were being lied to]], although Harry often worries that Snape can read minds. The only times the more invasive version is used is on a willing subject for the purposes of teaching defense against it, possibly on Kreacher by Dumbledore in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', and on Harry after he uses an unknown spell to defend himself against Malfoy and ends up nearly killing him in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince The Half-Blood Prince]]''.
86	* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'':
87	** This is most of the drama in ''Arrow's Flight'', but worse. Heralds in general would never dream of casually reading the thoughts and emotions of others, mainly because they've all been Chosen for their discretion and selflessness, and Talia is no exception -- unfortunately, it takes a long time for anyone to realize that although her Mindspeech is weak, she's a very powerful [[TheEmpath Empath]], and Empathy appearing on its own rather than as a secondary power to [[HealingHands Healing]] is very rare. As a result, her training in controlling her power is woefully inadequate, and Talia really can't ''tell'' when she's influencing someone or when she's not.
88	** Once she comes to full control of her Empathy, Talia develops her own sense of moral conduct with it, which is largely limited to those she considers to be good people. She openly uses MindRape against [[PayEvilUntoEvil those few individuals she considers worthy of it]], something that the other Heralds quiz her about, but accept her position on.
89	** It's also discussed in ''By the Sword'' between Kerowyn and Eldan, who find they must reconcile their different attitudes toward their telepathy; Eldan comes from a culture in which such abilities are commonplace and governed by [[IncorruptiblePurePureness Heraldic ethics]], while Kero has lived all her life in a culture in which being able to read others' thoughts is almost unheard of, compelling her to keep her Mindspeech a secret and refrain from using it any more than she can possibly help so as not to lose the trust of those around her.
90	** ''The Collegium Chronicles'' and ''The Herald Spy'' follow Mags, the most powerful Mindspeaker of his generation, [[ComingOfAgeStory from his Choosing through his early Heraldic career]]. As Mags' powers grow, he is forced to confront situations in which the use of his telepathy may or may not be justified, from simple scanning of surface thoughts to actual mind probes of criminals. In ''Closer to Home'' [[BondCreatures his Companion Dallen]] takes on the responsibility of determining when Mags would be justified in taking over another's body, as Mags might worry too much about JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope to take action when it really is needed -- such as [[spoiler:to prevent mass murder]].
91	** Companions, as angels, seem to have an OmniscientMoralityLicense in that they read minds constantly and sometimes interfere -- Eldan's Companion refuses to let Kero say he's a "spirit" by making her stutter as she approaches the word -- without it being regarded as suspect. Only Elspeth ever seems to mind having them "snooping" in her head, and not for long. This license may also extend to any nonconsensual but helpful use of psychic powers -- early in ''Arrow's Flight'', Talia notices that Skif is suffering PTSD after a near-death experience and undoes his trauma without asking. This isn't questioned or regarded as anything but a loving and helpful gesture. In the Owl books, a ''dyheli'' stag reworks a traumatized teenager's mind so the kid is calm, curious, and happy to engage with his Hawkbrother rescuers. Another human protests that Tyrsell didn't ask first, and Tyrsell calmly says that Darian would have agreed if he ''had'' taken the time to explain, and anyway it's for the good of the child and the community so it's fine.
92	* The tension between this trope and MundaneUtility forms most of the plot of ''Literature/HowLikeAGod'' by Brenda W. Clough, and a lot of the rest is about tension between this and WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility. Along the way, the protagonist hits every trope from PsychicAssistedSuicide to ([[HeelRealization almost]]) [[NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization raping someone]]. Then again, when he finds that ThereIsAnother, [[spoiler:[[AGodAmI he looks like a saint in comparison]]]].
93	* Subverted in ''Literature/HushHush''. Patch ''constantly'' commits MindRape on Nora, from talking to her telepathically to [[spoiler:making her think she was falling from a roller coaster to her death]].
94	* ''Literature/InCryptid'': Sarah actively tries to avoid messing with people's minds too much, though she will temporarily use her powers to get people to leave her alone or let her through security at an airport. In ''Calculated Risks'', she asks all the people they bring back to Earth with them if they want to remember the last two days in AnotherDimension or not, and only gives LaserGuidedAmnesia to those who give her permission. She also doesn't mess around in the Johrlac children's minds without their consent.
95	%%* The ''Literature/IxiaAndSitia'' series, at least in part.
96	%%* Healers in the ''Literature/LiadenUniverse'' books.
97	* In ''Literature/{{Paradox}}'', [[SpaceElves Eldritch]] customs strongly discourage the use of their telepathy, but in a {{subver\|tedTrope}}sion, most of their race aren't any more ethical than other people.
98	* ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'': Bards take vows not to misuse [[CompellingVoice their]] [[MagicMusic powers]]. Those who don't abide by this are major villains. Normally too, becoming a trained bard means they can't use their powers for evil, [[IntrinsicVow since it changes them]]. Only those with incomplete or self-taught training become evil.
99	* Discussed in ''Literature/{{Sisterland}}'' when Kate is dismayed to learn that her twin sister Violet has revealed that she has telepathy (something both of them have), as Violet predicts an earthquake is going to hit St. Louis. Kate feels annoyed that Violet is turning the situation into a media circus when she has no guarantee her vision is definitely going to happen, while Violet counters that if Kate had received the vision, she would have sat on the information and told no one and possibly endangered innocent people's lives to maintain her image as the perfect wife and mother.
100	* The Betazoids in the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse'' are usually shown as being like this. In the ''Literature/StarTrekTheLostEra'' novel ''Well of Souls'', the Betazoid Ven Kaldarren refuses to telepathically scan the shady characters he's travelling with, despite their highly unpleasant personalities. He later acknowledges he was foolish not to. Indeed, they're planning to kill him, and his son.
101	* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': Anyone capable of Telepathy, except the Dark Lord, will have sworn not to intrude in others' minds.
102	* ''Literature/TowerAndTheHive'': A prerequisite of Talented parenting is to immediately stomp out negative tendencies in their offspring, to avoid later turns to the darkside and misuse of powers. For the most part, this works, and evil Talents are so rare as to almost never be mentioned. Rogue Talents do start popping up in later books. Apparently, the standard procedure is for a more powerful telepath to "mind-lock" their powers... which can have adverse side effects. The one time we see a hostile psychic being vastly more powerful than the main characters, they join their minds and crush its consciousness, killing it.
103	* Subverted like hell in ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'', where Edward Cullen reads the minds of everyone except for Bella, and that's because he literally ''can't'' read hers. In ''Literature/MidnightSun2020'', he does say that he blocks people, but that's just because he finds them annoying (barring his family). He isn't bothered by mindreading anyone he wants and is pissed when he discovers that he can't know every little thing Bella is thinking.
104	* Jack in ''Literature/TheVampireFiles'' has to develop his own code of ethics for his mind-control powers after accidentally destroying someone's mind. He discusses with Escott how frightening it is to know he could make people do almost anything he wants, and either forget about it or be happy about it. In the sister series/prequel ''Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire'' Jonathan faces similar ethical questions, which he discusses with his father. Both protagonists realize that they ''must'' make use of their powers to some degree simply to live their lives in peace, but both try to minimize their use.
105	* [[HumanAliens Doctor Tachyon]] in the ''Literature/WildCards'' series is a case of this trope being used exclusively to deal with telepathy being a StoryBreakerPower. As one of the [[SupernaturalElite Psi Lords]] of the planet Takis, Tachyon comes from a culture where telepathic aristocrats such as himself are considered to be ''entitled'' to read (and control) the minds of non-telepaths. Indeed, they do so frequently both to maintain rulership over society and to try to avoid the [[DecadentCourt frequent assassination attempts that are part of their culture]]. Yet during most of the series (set on Earth), Tachyon almost never reads the minds of those around him, which allows many of his alleged "friends" to engage in all kinds of misbehavior. One of them was even secretly abusing EmotionControl powers, and Tachyon wasn't noticing because he was studiously not looking.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
109	* [[MutantDraftBoard The Psi Corps]] of ''Series/BabylonFive'' have a fairly strict set of guidelines determining when they can read people's minds and how deep they can go under what circumstances. [[BewareTheSuperman Sometimes they even follow it]]. [[MindRape Sometimes not]].
110	* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', telepathic "scanner cop" Matt Parkman initially uses his mind-reading powers to fight crime, but after he evolves the ability to completely control the minds of others, he becomes much more reluctant to use his powers at all, to the point that by Volume 5, he's categorized his ability as a drug and has even checked himself into an AA group.
111	* ''Series/Legion2017'': In "[[Recap/LegionS3E3Chapter22 Chapter 22]]", Charles Xavier explains to Gabrielle that he doesn't dig too deeply when he reads other people's minds because he wishes to respect their privacy. However, he does skim their surface thoughts without permission.
112	-->'''Charles:''' I can hear thoughts. Memories. But it occurred to me that there should be rules. People deserve their privacy. So I don't pry when I'm in there.
113	* Evie from ''Series/OutOfThisWorld1987'' needed to borrow an ESP power to help with a fundraiser. Because she is a bit young, she has a bit of trouble not commenting on the private thoughts of others, and later needed to procure a magician to lend PlausibleDeniability to her trick.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Video Games]]
117	* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'':
118	** Averted by Ivan, who has no sense of boundaries when it comes to his Mind Reading and in fact is eager to corner some guys in their room at the inn because he thinks they might be behind the recent thefts. However, Garet's objections to having his mind read by Ivan hint that Adepts normally do care about manners, and that Ivan is a special case since he had MuggleFosterParents and [[JustifiedTrope no way of learning Psynergy etiquette]]. This never comes up in the gameplay; if an NPC objects to having their mind read, [[PokeInTheThirdEye they'll just tell you so]].
119	** [[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Some 30 years later]], however, it's said he no longer likes having that power, possibly to explain why his daughter doesn't have it. [[spoiler:Much later in the game, you can use a power that works much the same.]]
120	* Alice from ''VideoGame/{{Moonrise}}'' may or may not have the ethics to fulfill this trope. It's up to player interpretation.
121	* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'': This is a problem for the entire satori race, as they are compelled to voice the thoughts they read without stopping to consider how personal they may be. Koishi permanently closed her own third eye, thus eliminating her own mind-reading power, in order to avoid that sort of hate her blabbermouth sister Satori earned. [[GoneHorriblyRight It succeeded far too well]], closing off her heart/mind so she no longer has [[EmptyShell thoughts or feelings]], and it's impossible for other people to care about or even remember her).
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Web Originals]]
125	* In ''Literature/ChakonaSpace'', skunktaurs are taught to be like this from cubhood.
126	* Used in ''Webcomic/FreakAngels''. Part of the titular mutants' code of honor is not to use their mind-control powers on others, and a great deal of drama comes from asking what the difference is between brainwashing others of traumatizing experiences (as Sirkka does) and brainwashing them into doing your bidding (as Mark and Luke do).
127	* {{Averted\|Trope}} by the Adar race of ''WebVideo/TalesFromMyDDCampaign'', who incorporated their racial gift for psionics into their daily society to such a degree that bargaining, courtship, and even simple communication became MindRape when they tried to interact with members of other species (who lacked the Adar "mental immune system").
128	* Played straight in ''Literature/TalesOfMU'' with the telepathic priestess Dee. Subverted with "delicate blossom" Violet, who was raised by hippies and has [[NoSocialSkills no sense of boundaries]].
129	* Most of the Psis in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', particularly really powerful Psis like Fubar. At the Whateley Academy, there's even required material on the ethics of psychic powers (which the unethical like Don Sebastiano ignore).
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Western Animation]]
133	* Explicitly brought up in ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''. The team psionic, Niko, comes from a [[HiddenElfVillage sanctuary world]] that is not on any map or chart. Their ''highest'' law is "One's mind belongs to one's self".
134	* Martian Manhunter in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. Intriguingly, his exposure to human thoughts and attitudes later in the first series causes J'onn's rather pleasant, calm demeanor to break down somewhat. Apparently, Martians were just not the type to keep secrets, and the deceitfulness of humanity is something of a shock for him, which leads to him strongly disliking humans later on.
135	* ''WesternAnimation/RoughnecksStarshipTroopersChronicles'': Dizzy Flores is claustrophobic, which hurts her on a mission where TheSquad has to go bug-hunting in an underground cavern. Carl, the team psychic, uses his powers to remove her claustrophobia, but not before debating the issue (since he's never had to do something like that before and was worried that complications might arise). He doesn't have problems [[MindRape mind-raping]] enemy [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Brain Bugs]], however.
136	* [[DoubleSubversion Double-subverted]] in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' once the title character learns he can [[DemonicPossession take control of people's bodies]] in his sleep. At first, he has no problem using it [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman because it only seems to work on]] [[PlantPerson Watermelon Stevens]], who he was helping with an emergency and would probably do whatever he told them anyway. Then Steven accidentally possesses Lars and decides to use it to get Lars [[CannotSpitItOut to admit he loves Sadie]]. When ''that'' goes predictably terrible, Steven regrets his actions and never possesses a human again.
137	* ''WesternAnimation/SushiPack'': Part of Maguro's powers includes mind reading and mild mind control (usually just to calm someone down). She rarely uses these on anyone other than her own teammates, although she did use mind control to make a museum director hang some of Tako's art.
138	* Brought up occasionally in ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution''. While Charles does occasionally mind wipe to keep mutants a secret, moral use of the powers are incredibly important. In one episode where Jean loses control, she accidentally reads Rogue's mind and immediately apologizes profusely for it.
139	* PlayedForDrama in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries''. A flashback showing a young Charles Xavier has him read the mind of his step-brother Cain Marko (pre-Juggernaut), and discover that he thinks his father loves Charles more than himself. Charles tries to assure him that's not the case, but this clues Cain in that Charles is a mutant.
140	* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' explores this in different ways. [[NaiveNewcomer M'Gann]] casually uses telepathy early on because she does not realize her humans friends would find it disturbing since it's completely normal on Mars. She manages to learn when it is or is not appropriate to use on her allies, but in "Image" uses it to knock them out in a desperate moment to hide her DarkSecret, and then {{Mind Rape}}s a psychic villain into a coma. By season two she has [[BewareTheMindReader thrown the ethics out the window]], willing to do the same to other villains when it helps a mission, and even alter her ''friends'' memories to her own advantage. [[spoiler:This callousness eventually leads her to damage one of her friends' minds very badly, after which she seems determined to play this trope straight.]]
141	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MindOverManners