soul-searching
Examining one's conscience
Soul-searching is deep, honest examination of one's feelings, motives, or beliefs, usually prompted by a difficult situation or decision.
It implies looking inward with uncomfortable honesty: After the divorce, she did a lot of soul-searching.
The term often appears when someone must confront hard truths about themselves or their choices.
Scrutiny of one's thoughts
- self-reflectionExamining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- self-analysisScrutinizing one's own psyche
- self-scrutinyCritical examination of oneself
self-questioning · self-awareness · meditation · rumination · pondering · deliberation · self-assessment · cogitation
Violent disturbance or confusion
- anguishIntense mental suffering
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- conflictOpposition between parties
despair · crossroads · struggle · distress · heartache · breakdown · predicament · quandary
Focused attention practice
- faithTrust without proof
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
- prayerAddress to deity
salvation · awakening · pilgrimage · sacred · devotion · penance · confession · atonement
Painful awareness of failure
- guiltMoral self-reproach
- regretSorrow over past actions
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
- sadnessState of emotional pain
fear · anxiety · doubt · confusion · ambivalence · remorse · longing · emptiness
What something signifies
- callingStrongly felt purpose
- vocationDedicated career path
- missionPurpose-driven task
- directionWay something faces
destiny · purpose · passion · authenticity · why · fulfillment · alignment · clarity
Thorough change in form
- self-improvementEnhancing oneself deliberately
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- maturationProcess of becoming complete
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
evolution · progress · empowerment · flourishing · renewal · breakthrough · becoming · reinvention
self-examination
Scrutiny of one's thoughts
- self-reflectionExamining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- self-analysisScrutinizing one's own psyche
self-scrutiny · self-questioning · self-awareness · meditation · rumination · pondering · deliberation · self-assessment · cogitation · brooding
turmoil
Violent disturbance or confusion
- anguishIntense mental suffering
- dilemmaForced choice between undesirables
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
conflict · despair · crossroads · struggle · distress · heartache · breakdown · predicament · quandary · hardship
meditation
Focused attention practice
- faithTrust without proof
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- redemptionRecovery or moral restoration
prayer · salvation · awakening · pilgrimage · sacred · devotion · penance · confession · atonement · forgiveness
shame
Painful awareness of failure
sadness · fear · anxiety · doubt · confusion · ambivalence · remorse · longing · emptiness · disillusionment
meaning
What something signifies
direction · destiny · purpose · passion · authenticity · why · fulfillment · alignment · clarity · conviction
transformation
Thorough change in form
- self-improvementEnhancing oneself deliberately
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- maturationProcess of becoming complete
enlightenment · evolution · progress · empowerment · flourishing · renewal · breakthrough · becoming · reinvention · self-actualization
- thinkingthinking, reasoning, thought, ponder, contemplate
- contemplationcontemplation, meditation, reflection, pondering, musing
- inner turmoilinner turmoil, inner conflict, inner struggle, self-doubt, indecision
- introspectionself-examination, self-reflection, self-awareness, self-analysis, introspection
- self-reflectionjournaling, self-reflection, self-awareness, introspection, self-examination
- Self-focusintrospection, self-analysis, self-examination, narcissism, egocentrism
soul-searchingglibness
Insincere verbal ease
flippancy · thoughtlessness · going through the motions · superficiality · shallowness
soul-searchingdenial
Refusal to accept reality
self-deception · avoidance · evasion · willful ignorance · rationalization
soul-searchingexternalization
Making internal things external
blame-shifting · finger-pointing · scapegoating · projection
soul, search, research, searching, researcher, searched, searches, searcher, researching