diff --git a/docs/source/user/options.rst b/docs/source/user/options.rst
index f9e8b86..8db2df8 100644
--- a/docs/source/user/options.rst
+++ b/docs/source/user/options.rst
@@ -607,13 +607,14 @@ Options and their Descriptions
 
     :ref:`Go back to index <top>`
 
+    **You usually do not need to specify this option as the default includes
+    all installed plugin codes.**
+
     Specify the list of error codes you wish |Flake8| to report. Similarly to
     :option:`--ignore`. You can specify a portion of an error code to get all
     that start with that string. For example, you can use ``E``, ``E4``,
     ``E43``, and ``E431``.
 
-    This defaults to: ``E,F,W,C90``
-
     Command-line example:
 
     .. prompt:: bash
@@ -649,6 +650,9 @@ Options and their Descriptions
 
     .. versionadded:: 4.0.0
 
+    **You usually do not need to specify this option as the default includes
+    all installed plugin codes.**
+
     Specify a list of codes to add to the list of selected ones. Similar
     considerations as in :option:`--select` apply here with regard to the
     value.
diff --git a/src/flake8/defaults.py b/src/flake8/defaults.py
index e3edf32..8add695 100644
--- a/src/flake8/defaults.py
+++ b/src/flake8/defaults.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ EXCLUDE = (
     "*.egg",
 )
 IGNORE = ("E121", "E123", "E126", "E226", "E24", "E704", "W503", "W504")
-SELECT = ("E", "F", "W", "C90")
 MAX_LINE_LENGTH = 79
 INDENT_SIZE = 4
 
diff --git a/src/flake8/main/options.py b/src/flake8/main/options.py
index 891bae9..9d57321 100644
--- a/src/flake8/main/options.py
+++ b/src/flake8/main/options.py
@@ -297,9 +297,11 @@ def register_default_options(option_manager: OptionManager) -> None:
         parse_from_config=True,
         comma_separated_list=True,
         help=(
-            f"Comma-separated list of error codes to enable. "
-            f"For example, ``--select=E4,E51,W234``. "
-            f"(Default: {','.join(defaults.SELECT)})"
+            "Limit the reported error codes to codes prefix-matched by this "
+            "list.  "
+            "You usually do not need to specify this option as the default "
+            "includes all installed plugin codes.  "
+            "For example, ``--select=E4,E51,W234``."
         ),
     )
 
@@ -309,8 +311,10 @@ def register_default_options(option_manager: OptionManager) -> None:
         parse_from_config=True,
         comma_separated_list=True,
         help=(
-            "Comma-separated list of error codes to add to the list "
-            "of selected ones. For example, ``--extend-select=E4,E51,W234``."
+            "Add additional error codes to the default ``--select``.  "
+            "You usually do not need to specify this option as the default "
+            "includes all installed plugin codes.  "
+            "For example, ``--extend-select=E4,E51,W234``."
         ),
     )
 
diff --git a/src/flake8/style_guide.py b/src/flake8/style_guide.py
index 8431650..a409484 100644
--- a/src/flake8/style_guide.py
+++ b/src/flake8/style_guide.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class DecisionEngine:
 
         self.selected = _select_ignore(
             option=options.select,
-            default=defaults.SELECT,
+            default=(),
             extended_default=options.extended_default_select,
             extend=options.extend_select,
         )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_decision_engine.py b/tests/unit/test_decision_engine.py
index 27ced3f..d543d5e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_decision_engine.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_decision_engine.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def create_options(**kwargs):
     kwargs.setdefault("ignore", None)
     kwargs.setdefault("extend_select", None)
     kwargs.setdefault("extend_ignore", None)
-    kwargs.setdefault("extended_default_select", [])
+    kwargs.setdefault("extended_default_select", ["C90", "F", "E", "W"])
     kwargs.setdefault("extended_default_ignore", [])
     kwargs.setdefault("disable_noqa", False)
     return argparse.Namespace(**kwargs)