introspection
introspection — noun
1. the act of looking inside your own mind to understand your thoughts, feelings, a
the act of looking inside your own mind to understand your thoughts, feelings, and the reasons behind your actions, rather than focusing on the outside world or other people.
After the argument, Asher spent the evening in quiet introspection to understand his anger.
quiet introspection — common adjective-noun collocation
Takeshi's journal was full of introspection, helping him make sense of his daily experiences.
full of introspection — noun + preposition pattern
The therapist encouraged Rania to practise introspection rather than avoid her difficult feelings.
practise introspection — typical verb-noun collocation
Minh believed that regular introspection helped him become more aware of his own behaviour.
After quarrelling with a friend, Lakshmi faced the discomfort of introspection and saw her fault.
- deep introspection
- quiet introspection
- engage in introspection
- practise introspection
- a period of introspection
- turn to introspection
- self-examination
more literal, slightly less formal; often used in everyday contexts
- self-reflection
the most common everyday alternative; less psychological/technical in tone
- contemplation
broader; can apply to external subjects such as nature or art, not exclusively inner thoughts
- distraction
actively turning attention outward to avoid looking inward
- extrospection
rare technical term for examining the external world rather than oneself
Grammar Patterns
engage in + introspection
period of + introspection
Usage Note
Frequently paired with verbs such as engage in, practise, or turn to. In casual conversation, self-reflection is more common than the more formal term introspection.