Selective Memory

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I've had something happen to me a few times that I'm wondering about.

Someone offers a viewpoint of a certain topic and you either agree with them or not, but being an Aspie, you can remember that they seemed to have a strong view on this topic. Time passes and this person then presents the opposite view as their own. When I press them about the incongruities, they look at me as if I've grown a third hand.

Is this common among neurotyipicals? It just seems odd that a person can present themselves one way and then some time later, present themselves another way and not realize the difference. It makes it hard to trust someone, because I don't know if their view is subject to their changing views or not. It's not that aspies never change our minds, but I don't think we try to pretend our former views never existed.

Sometimes, a person who changes viewpoints does not want to express the previous view, since the previous was erroneous to the person (that's why the person changed his/her mind.

Not many people want to express what they believe are erroneous viewpoints to others. To the point where they will deny that they ever held that view--perhaps they were embarrassed to have held that viewpoint in the first place. No attempt at lying here, I believe.

There have been studies that show that the majority of people, even though they acknowledge that they have changed to become who they are currently, and one could conclude they would change in the future as well, subconsciously they believe they were and always will be the same as they are presently. I think that is probably what causes this, and if you showed them solid proof that their original idea was totally the opposite they would probably be somewhat surprised or even shocked that they had said that before.

Unfortunately I don't remember the details about the study so I can't give a reference, I just remember learning about it in my AP psychology class in high school.

That's my father to a T.

I do understand about not wanting to be associated with something in your past. There are some obsessions I will never acknowledge that I had, they're buried in the past and I would not wish to get in touch with anyone who knew me then and might remember. If I did, I don't know if I would deny it or try to laugh it off with a "the stupidity of youth!" Come to think of it, I probably would try to deny it.



Wow, really? That would be so great a thing to have! I wish I could believe that!
It seems very weird to me that someone can truly believe that though. Pretend to, sure, and deny it, but actually think so?? If you should remember more or find a link to the study, please share! I would like to read the details of the study.