Yes. I remember some time ago comments regarding why Darwin took so long to release his idea of continuous evolution. It wasn't because he was afraid of offending his wife, or anybody else. It was because he realised if his theory was true there was no fixed order. This would give ammunition to those who had demanded change during the riots of 1848. And, of course, he belonged to the priviledged class. He was potentially going to suffer the consequences of having his theory widely accepted.

And there's the story of the Bishop's wife who said when she first heard the idea, "Let's hope it's not true, and if it is true, let's hope the lower classes don't hear of it".