as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
some self-observation might give you some insights into how others perceive you
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of self-observation
The purpose of this exercise is not to match your paradigm perfectly but to give you a thematic lens for self-observation.
—
Liz Tran, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026
There are three invitations leaders can offer their direct reports:
Play with the technology as a tool for self-observation.
—Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Liz Tran, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026
There are three invitations leaders can offer their direct reports:
Play with the technology as a tool for self-observation.
—Michael Hudson, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Anyone who has tracked their daily steps or worn a glucose monitor can testify that self-observation works.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-observation
- introspection
- self-reflection
- self-examination
- soul-searching
- self-scrutiny
- contemplation
- self-contemplation
- self-questioning
Noun
-
McLarty and Walker shift from depressive introspection to giggling reminiscences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
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The color symbolizes introspection, mental clarity, tranquility, open communication, and compassion.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Speaks said therapy and self-reflection helped change his own life and inspired him to pursue psychology.—
Nicky Zizaza,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
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That self-reflection led to Rushing’s best performance to date at the plate.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Esalen framed this and similar efforts not just as political education but as deeply transformative experiences requiring self-examination and accountability.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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The shift from institutional blame to self-examination is where the film found its real subject.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The story attracted her first, a heartwarming narrative about an aquarium cleaner (Field) who looks after a giant Pacific octopus (voiced by Alfred Molina) and the young drifter (Lewis Pullman) who deepens both their lives while doing his own soul-searching.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Barnes met Imam in a moment of soul-searching.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That may be too much heightened self-scrutiny.—
Bryan Price,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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In a foundational study, it was found that companies professing a strong belief in meritocracy were more likely to reward men over equally performing women because the belief in objectivity ironically reduces self-scrutiny in decisions, giving managers subconscious permission to act on stereotypes.—
Heather Price,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Gold can be one option worth serious contemplation right now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
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Art beckons at Rothko Chapel and The Menil Collection, quiet sanctuaries where light, color, and contemplation merge.—
Carrie Honaker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Noun
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After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.—
Jennifer Culp,
Them,
27 Sep. 2024
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Missing from the fair but important nonetheless is Hsiao Chin, the first and only post-war Chinese artist to convey Eastern philosophical ideas and the concepts of mindfulness and self-contemplation in the Western pictorial language of abstraction.—
Florence Tsai,
Forbes,
26 Mar. 2023
Noun
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And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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But users can instruct it to be tentative, hesitant, self-questioning or even deliberately clumsy.—
Chris Reed,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-observation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-observation. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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