as in introspection
examination of one's own thoughts and feelings
she doesn't seem to see the difference between a reasonable amount of self-contemplation and total self-absorption
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Recent Examples of self-contemplation
After the eclipse wraps, the Sun doubles down on the compulsion toward self-contemplation in partnership with Lilith.
—
Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
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
Jennifer Culp, Them, 27 Sep. 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-contemplation
Noun
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Some viewers took Sharon’s critique as tough love that prompted necessary introspection about why their natural texture is concealed and manipulated so often.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
14 May 2026
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The back half is comprised of less showy songs that fold midlife introspection into broader concerns.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Selzer’s contemplations bring together literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and ruminations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Gold can be one option worth serious contemplation right now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The importance of the self in American culture seems to have become even more pronounced since about the mid-20th century, when the communal—and sometimes conformist—spirit of the 1950s gave way to movements for individual rights and a cultural focus on self-reflection and self-help.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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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
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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While three games hardly make a season, there seems to be some soul-searching needed in Dallas.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Self-contemplation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-contemplation. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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