Selecting a mesh selects the shape, not the transform

 Here's a weird one...

The Problem:

When I select a mesh/curve, it selects the shape - not the transform!

The Fix:

Turn off 'Enable Overrides' of the shape. Normally transforms are part of display layers, and when an object is added to a display layer, it links the display layer 'Display Type' to the objects 'Display Type'. However, adding a transform does not add the shape. Therefore, if you have a Display Layer set to reference, you may still be able to select a layer object's shape if 'Enabled overrides' on the shape is turned on and set to 'Normal'.