self-examination
Studying one's motives
Self-examination is the act of looking inward to assess one's thoughts, motives, or conduct.
It implies honest scrutiny rather than casual reflection: A period of self-examination led her to change careers.
In medical contexts, self-examination means checking one's own body for abnormalities: monthly breast self-examination, testicular self-examination.
Focused attention practice
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- awakeningReturn to consciousness
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
conscience · confession · retreat · solitude · prayer · atonement · repentance · purification
Returned light or thought
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- soul-searchingProbing one's innermost feelings
- journalingRegular personal writing practice
Positive change in quality
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- progressMovement toward improvement
- transformationThorough change in form
- actualizationMaking something fully real
empowerment · learning · cultivation · wisdom · habits · goals · strengths · weaknesses
Routine health evaluation
Something that extends outward
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- rationalizationInventing acceptable motives afterward
- displacementRemoval from usual location
coping · unconscious · ego · patterns · triggers · trauma · complexes · motivations
meditation
Focused attention practice
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- awakeningReturn to consciousness
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
discernment · conscience · confession · retreat · solitude · prayer · atonement · repentance · purification · confession
reflection
Returned light or thought
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- soul-searchingProbing one's innermost feelings
- journalingRegular personal writing practice
improvement
Positive change in quality
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- progressMovement toward improvement
- transformationThorough change in form
actualization · empowerment · learning · cultivation · wisdom · habits · goals · strengths · weaknesses · accountability
checkup
Routine health evaluation
projection
Something that extends outward
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- repressionUnconscious blocking of thoughts
- rationalizationInventing acceptable motives afterward
displacement · coping · unconscious · ego · patterns · triggers · trauma · complexes · motivations · fears
- contemplationcontemplation, meditation, reflection, pondering, musing
- introspectionsoul searching, looking inward, soul-searching, inner dialogue, reflective thinking
- memoirsmemoir, memoirs, autobiography, autobiographies, life story
- personal writingdiary, journal, autobiographical essay, memoir, memoirs
- self-reflectionjournaling, soul-searching, contemplation, reflective writing, inner dialogue
- Self-focusnarcissism, egocentrism, ego, vanity, selfies
self-examinationexternalization
Making internal things external
extroversion · social engagement · action · distraction · busyness
self-examinationobliviousness
Lack of awareness
mindlessness · thoughtlessness · self-deception · denial · willful blindness
self, exam, examine, examination, examined, examiner, examining, examines, examiners