Bleak Retrospection
Bleak Retrospection is a proposed composite bias in which past experiences are remembered with disproportionate negativity, causing history to appear as proof of futility rather than resilience.
| Bleak Retrospection | |
|---|---|
| Field | Cognitive psychology; memory; emotional reasoning |
| Author | Andrew Lehti |
| Status | Proposed composite bias |
| Related framework | Cognitive Impasse |
| Related concepts | Negativity Bias, Mood-Congruent Memory, Dystopian Forecasting |
Bleak Retrospection describes memory filtered through present negativity. A person recalls failure, hardship, or humiliation while minimizing growth, friendships, skill development, survival, or later insight.
Within Cognitive Impasse, Bleak Retrospection supports the belief that change is pointless. The past becomes evidence against future effort.
The bias differs from honest negative memory. It becomes bias when the negative record is selected so strongly that the past is no longer a useful guide.
See also
References