selective memory

Biased recall tendency

Selective memory is the tendency to remember certain things while conveniently forgetting others, especially when the forgotten details would be inconvenient or unflattering.

The term usually carries an accusation—that someone is shaping their recollection to suit their interests rather than genuinely failing to recall: He has very selective memory when it comes to promises he made.

psychology

repression

Unconscious blocking of thoughts

suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
forgettingFailing to retain memories
recallMemory retrieval act

retrieval · encoding · amnesia · blocking · recollection · subconscious · confabulation · autobiographical · neuroscience · psychoanalysis

bias

cherry-picking

Choosing only supporting examples

distortionTwisting from original state
denialRefusal to accept reality
omissionFailure to include

favoritism · partiality · skewed · misremembering · confirmation bias · cognitive dissonance · self-serving · rationalization · blind spot · whitewashing

Categories

memoryforget, recall, memorize, recollect, retain
playing dumbfeign ignorance, blank stare, vacant stare, willful ignorance
cognitive biasesconfirmation bias, anchoring bias, negativity bias, framing effect, optimism bias
coping mechanismsrepression, denial, projection, sublimation, rationalization
gambling psychologygambler's fallacy, loss aversion, illusion of control, chasing losses, near miss
self-deceptiondenial, delusion, wishful thinking, rationalization, willful blindness

Opposites

completeness of recall

selective memorytotal recall

Complete, perfect remembrance

photographic memory · eidetic memory

intentionality of forgetting

selective memorydementia

Chronic cognitive impairment

anterograde amnesia · retrograde amnesia

Family

memory, remember, select, selection, selected, selective, selecting, selections, unselected

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