History Main / SelectiveObliviousness

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Lois' brother, Patrick, is revealed to be the fat man serial killer. Lois refuses to believe Patrick is the killer, despite the several glaring pieces of evidence that point to Patrick until Lois sees more and more damming evidence piling up and Brian screaming at her to wake up.

* ''InvaderZim'' has two cases: Zim, who refuses to acknowledge that his leaders would like nothing more than his swift and painful death, and Dib, who thinks that exposing Zim as an alien will change how his family and peers think of him, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
* Panini from ''{{Chowder}}'' doesn't understand the meaning of the words "I'm not your boyfriend."
* [[FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Mr. Herriman]] can spot the tiniest speck of dirt, but he couldn't tell a crudely made decoy of Eduardo from the real Eduardo.

* On ''TotalDramaWorldTour,'' Cody. [[WellExcuseMePrincess Courtney]] a bit too, though she was at least suspicious that [[JerkAss Duncan]] [[YourCheatingHeart was cheating]] with [[PerkyGoth Gwen]] behind her back; when [[DoggedNiceGuy Cody]] found out he seemed completely ''shocked,'' despite the fact that in-universe it's been a common theory they liked each other going back to season two.
* In ''TheOblongs'', [[FatBastard Helga]] [[MeaningfulName Phugly]] thinks she is loved by all, especially [[GirlPosse the Debbies]].

* SpongeBobSquarepants--in perhaps his greatest moment of stupidity--not only completly ignores the words of warning a gypsy woman gives him about the ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''-like creatures she sells, but also ignores when it turns into a massive killer eel in favour of chastising Gary for 'bullying the creature' even when ''he is in its mouth and about to be eaten''.

** In the episode "The Courtship of Stewie's Father", Lois meets with Stewie's preschool teacher and she shows Lois several drawings Stewie made, which show Stewie killing Lois in horrible ways. The two women then have this exchange regarding the images:

* Professor Hamilton in ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' worked with the Cadmus project and attempted to take down the Justice League all because of Superman's invasion of Earth while he was BrainwashedAndCrazy and subsequently threatening him, referring to the events of the finale of ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries.'' While that is true that Superman threatened him, it's only because Hamilton was being a total prick and refusing to help him save a badly wounded Supergirl because he was more concerned about saving his own ass by not consorting with someone who was considered a felon rather than helping a man he'd repeatedly given aid to in the past no matter the circumstance.

*** One episode reveals he [[MistakenFOrGay thought John Redcorn was gay]]; he does eventually confront the fact that Joseph can't be his son, but comes up with a story involving aliens to explain how he really is.

* In ''DextersLaboratory'', Dexter and Dee Dee's parents do not know about the lab, despite having witnessed the odd results of Dexter's experiments, as, for instance, the talking dog. [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight It simply doesn't occur to them that this might be unusual]].

* Eric Cartman from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' is so wrapped up in his own ginormous ego, that he will ignore everything that contradicts his glorified self-image, and what he cannot ignore he will twist in his own favor. On one occasion he frantically strives to avoid a fight with a girl who's mad at him, because if he loses, nobody will thing he's cool anymore. When he's forced to fight anyway and loses, other kids assure him that they never thought he was cool and always hated and despised him, so there's no change at all. He thinks that they're just saying it to make him feel better, [[InsaneTrollLogic meaning they care about him, meaning they STILL think he's cool]]!

* ''MarsAttacks!''. Art Land is so intent about selling the investors on building his casino that he ignores the all out alien attack going on outside.

* In ''SomeLikeItHot'', Jack Lemmon, masquerading as "Daphne", gets a marriage proposal from Osgood, an elderly millionaire. Daphne tries to talk him out of it:

* This is what the title of ''AnInconvenientTruth'' refers to (specifically, being unwilling to observe something because your job depends on you not observing it).
* The Superman example above is {{Lampshaded}} in ''MysteryMen''. The Shoveller refuses to believe that millionaire Lance Hunt is really superhero Captain Amazing. He points out to Mr. furious that [[PaperThinDisguise Lance Hunt wears glasses,]] [[ClarkKenting while Captain Amazing doesn't]]. Mr. Furious ripostes that he takes off his glasses when he transforms. The Shoveller responds "That doesn't make any sense! He wouldn't be able to see!"

** Chandler asks for no strippers at his bachelor party, and after he leaves Joey immediately asks what kind of strippers they should get. Ross reminds him what just happened, and he replies "Huh. I chose not to hear that."

* Randy, the tame fox in ''FauxPas'', is so naive about sex that it's impossible to think this trope isn't going on. This alternately frustrates and amuses the wild vixen who wants to be his mate. We find out later that Randy does know about "the birds and the bees." But what he knows comes from human television, so anything that strays from Hollywood ideals of dating and romance leave him lost.

* Played with in ''HannahMontana'', Miley mentions that she's kissed, and quickly backpedals prompting Robbie Ray to say "I love our relationship, you pretend you don't kiss boys, and I pretend I believe you"

* In ''{{FanFic/Cultstuck}},'' most of the titular cultists are unable to see [[SirSwearsALot Karkat]] as anything other than the perfect, infallible reincarnation of [[TheMessiah the Sufferer]], and they interpret the slightest mundane thing he does as divine revelation. [[HumbleHero Karkat,]] on the other hand, is severely annoyed by this, as it means that none of them are really acknowledging him as a person or listening to his opinion. (He's tried to ''stop'' them being selectively oblivious, but...well, they are a cult.) This is played for laughs, but also drama: they expect Karkat to fit [[IncorruptiblePurePureness their image]] of the Sufferer, and have spent centuries producing propaganda and warping history to fit their beliefs.

* In ''FanFic/Cultstuck,'' most of the titular cultists are unable to see Karkat as anything other than the perfect, infallible reincarnation of the Sufferer, and interpret the slightest mundane thing he does as divine revelation. [[HumbleHero Karkat,]] on the other hand, is severely annoyed by this, as it means that none of them are really acknowledging him as a person or listening to his opinion.

** And then there's the fans, but that's a different story.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Flipside}}'', BlitheSpirit Maytag has a complete and utter lack of any sense of modesty[[hottip:*:As long as she's [[ClothesMakeTheSuperman in her jester costume. Out of it, she's a ShrinkingViolet]]. And an equally complete and utter lack of understanding it in other people. To the point where she's openly baffled when everyone else is upset when their carriage driver is caught using x-ray specs to peep through their clothes. Given the grasp of human nature she shows when she's in ManipulativeBitch mode, this is almost certainly self-justification for her own exhibitionist ways.

* Capt. Tagon and Sgt. Schlock from ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': Tagon tends to have a one track mind and has a hard time dealing with things that don't conform to "shoot it/run from it/run, come back with reinforcements" (at least without someone there to wield a clue bat). Whereas Shlock tends to mentally spin anything he's told into what he wants to believe. (So his orders tend to be simple and specific).[[hottip:*:When Petey tells him he won't provide the Toughs with a new ship or assignments because he's trying to remove "a group of sociopaths" from circulation, Schlock immediately volunteers to go hunt the sociopaths down.]]

* Barney Stinson from Series/HowIMetYourMother is almost totally self deluded, not only is he a compulsive liar who [[BelievingTheirOwnLies believes his own lies]], he constantly twists his perception of reality to paint himself and his life as "awesome", no matter how pathetic he actually is. For example, he will invent arbitrary social rules to justify his behaviour and claim historical precedents for them, and continualy insist they are true, despite their obvious falsehood.
** This is apparently because, when he was a child, Barney's mother chose to lie to Barney and conceal from him anything that might damage his sense of self worth, for example, when no-one came to his birthday party, she forged a letter from the Postmaster General, claiming he had lost all the invitations. This made Barney unable to accept anything that might damage his overinflated ego, once, when he amiably broke up with the bar's waitress, he chose to believe she had gone crazy and was trying to murder him, rather than face the fact she simply didn't mind not being with him
** Everything you need to know about Barney can be seen in an episode in the sixth season, Zoe sets Ted up with her attractive cousin "Honey", and Robin and Barney both relate their own versions of the date to Marshall; in Robin's presumably more truthful account, Honey is fascinated by Ted and blatantly flirts with him, while Batney desperately attempts to hit on her and she politely ignores him, while Barney does leave with her, it's only because Ted is much more interested in Zoe and lets him; in Barney's version, Ted bores Honey by droning endlessly aout architecture, and she is virtually ripping off Barney's clothes the whole time. When Marshall points out the difference in the accounts, Barney angrily insists his is true
** The entire group is guilty of this and later seasons have them confront this as part of their CharacterDevelopment. Barney finally acknowledges that Bob Barker is not his father and actually seeks out his real dad. Ted and Robin realize that they do not have a future as a couple and that by remaining roommates they stifle any chance of having a serious romantic relationships with someone else.

* The Ministry of Magic in ''HarryPotter'' choose not to believe that Voldemort is back in ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' despite the overwhelming evidence. They lead the public to believe that all is well and constantly berate [[TheHero Harry]] and [[EccentricMentor Dumbledore]] as [[CassandraTruth liars]]. It's explained that they have a contrived denial caused from how horrible Voldemort's previous reign of terror was. Despite this explanation, many fans interpreted them as TooDumbToLive. Of course, "it was explained" by the protagonists themselves, and another interpretation is that the Ministery suspected Dumbledore of using Voldermort as a scapegoat to explain his own screw ups at running the school. The Minister of Magic Fudge on the other hand believes that Dumbledore is trying to usurp him as Minister of Magic.

* In ''FanFic/PartingWords'', [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Princess Celestia]] realizes that the Cutie Mark Crusaders have never received adequate help for their bullying problem because the adults are so wrapped up in their own problems and obligations that they convince themselves that the foals' problems are unimportant and not worth their time and effort.

* In ''Manga/SkipBeat'', Kyouka is completely oblivious to the fact that Ren is in love with her, even after his assistant blatantly told her.

** The Aunt May in ASM # 400, on the other hand, [[TheNotSecret knew it for years.]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* In research, this is called "confirmation bias", the tendency to only acknowledge the facts that prove you right, and it is THE NUMBER ONE ENEMY of the scientific method. This is why both sides of highly polarized scientific debates tend to think that their opposition has to be crazy to ignore the big neon signs telling them exactly how wrong they are.
* At the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Copenhagen Battle of Copenhagen]], Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson is reputed to have deployed this even though, strictly speaking, he did not need to: Signals had been set granting him and his forces permission to withdraw at their discretion[[hottip:*: i.e., that withdrawing at that stage would not be considered cowardice, but he was free to fight on if he chose]], but he is said to have raised the telescope to his [[HandicappedBadass blind eye]] and stated "I really do not see the signal!". The British forces won, but it is often considered Nelson's hardest-fought battle.
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* It's implied that, if Commissioner Gordon wanted to, he could figure out Comicbook/{{Batman}}'s identity, but he deliberately chooses not to, and has in fact refused to look when Batman offered to reveal who he really was.

* A creepy example in ''ShutterIsland''. An asylum inmate subconsciously created an elaborate illusion of residing in her neighborhood, and treated other patients and staff as neighbors or delivery men, flatly refused to admit that she's been committed for murdering her children. Then the unfolding story reveals that [[spoiler: the protagonist suffers from that very delusion and that he created a far more elaborate illusion that placed him in the shoes of a federal marshall investigating the escape of the aforementioned inmate from the asylum and secretly searching for another inmate that killed his wife.]] In fact, [[spoiler: the nonexistent escaped inmate '''is''' his wife, that murdered their children and thus drove him insane and the nonexistent killer is himself.]]

* The Ministry of Magic in ''HarryPotter'' choose not to believe that Voldemort is back in ''HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'' despite the overwhelming evidence (which, to tell the truth, pretty much amounted to Harry saying "He's back" and Dumbledore saying "I believe him"). They lead the public to believe that all is well and constantly berate [[TheHero Harry]] and [[EccentricMentor Dumbledore]] as [[CassandraTruth liars]]. It's explained that they have a contrived denial caused from how horrible Voldemort's previous reign of terror was. Despite this explanation, many fans interpreted them as TooDumbToLive. Of course, "it was explained" by the protagonists themselves, and another interpretation is that the Ministery suspected Dumbledore of using Voldermort as a scapegoat to explain his own screw ups at running the school. The Minister of Magic Fudge on the other hand believes that Dumbledore is trying to usurp him as Minister of Magic.

* Elena from TheVampireDiaries is a darker example of the trope. While she may view Damon as a JerkassWoobie, Damon has done actions that cross the MoralEventHorizon to her friends including raping Caroline, killing her brother, Jeremy, and murdering Bonnie's mother and grandmother.