DR. JOHN'S CASE NOTES : SELECTIVE MEMORY SYNDROME

Everybody has memories good and bad, which will often pop into their heads when activated by all kinds of recall triggers. Many of us try to bury bad memories under the carpet, or to lock them away inside the skeleton cupboard, and even if those memories may never resurface again,  their presence will always be acknowledged. But then there are those who have mastered the remarkable art of transferring all their unpleasant memories into their neuro-recycle bins for permanent removal. This condition has been labelled selective memory syndrome, which unfortunately affects over 90% of all bridge players. 

The syndrome is nothing more than selective memory loss, where the affected bridge player chooses to forget all the mistakes he/she has ever made at the table. Banished from their minds are all the shocking misbids, opening leads and naff declarer plays, which were the direct result of recklessness, carelessness and rank stupidity . Only memories of their successful coups, masterly plays and glorious triumphs are retained, where a little embellishment usually takes place, before victims regale unsuspecting listeners about their  successful encounters, against extremely tough and awkward opponents . 

However, research has shown that lazy bridge players are more prone to picking up this syndrome that any others, but in all cases symptoms only appear when victims of the condition find themselves put under pressure to talk about their bridge experiences. Not surprisingly, the disorder can only be seen by others who are on the outside, because  the victims themselves lack the ability to be introspective.

I once asked a client to recall a hand where he made a bid or played the cards like a buffoon, but he couldn't. I then reminded him of the facts of a recorded hand where he did just that but his memory loss was so complete it simply wiped out the whole incident, including all the names of those in attendance. Furthermore, he was convinced  that the whole story was a figment of my imagination, and so it came as no surprise when a week later he had no memory whatsoever of being confronted by this tale .

Bizarrely, the condition appears to many independent observers as a gift or blessing,  allowing victims to live forever in cloud cuckoo land, where self-deception rewards them with an unshakable self-belief that they are immensely successful, playing near perfect bridge at all times.