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# Introspection
- URL: https://www.descentpress.com/index/introspection/
- Published: 2026-09-05T04:40:52.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-10T01:41:58.000Z
- Description: >
- Author: Jae Botávn
- Tags: #index

## 1\. Etymology

**Introspection** names a **process of reflection that focuses on personal reactions, behavior patterns, and attitudes**. Related: meditation; distinct from [introversion](https://www.descentpress.com/index/introversion/).

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## 2\. Plain summary

**Introspection** is self-examination. **[Introversion](https://www.descentpress.com/index/introversion/)** is the natural direction of energy movement. Neither introverts nor well-developed [thinking](https://www.descentpress.com/index/thinking/) types monopolize introspection—anyone can examine their reactions and attitudes.

**Examples (exhaustive house list for this Index lemma — common introspection motifs named across Jung’s essays and standard Jungian lexica; not a claim that Jung’s CW contains only these):**  
reflection on reactions / patterns / attitudes; vs [introversion](https://www.descentpress.com/index/introversion/) (energy direction); not monopolized by introverts or thinking types; kinship with meditation; self-examination practice.

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## 3\. Academic elucidation

In analytical psychology introspection is **deliberate self-examination**—short Sharp definition Samuels: no dedicated head this pass.

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## 4\. Lexicon

**Sharp (1991)**

> Introspection. A process of reflection that focuses on personal reactions, behavior patterns and attitudes. (See also meditation.) The difference between introspection and introversion is that the latter refers to the direction in which energy naturally moves, while the former refers to self-examination. Neither introverts nor those with a well-developed thinking function have a monopoly on introspection.

(Sharp, 1991) — no CW pointer

**Samuels, Shorter & Plaut (1986)** — no dedicated *introspection* head

> *(No dedicated Samuels head.)* Related under introversion / typology / analysis

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## 5\. CW concordance — sample, not exhaustive

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**See also:** [introversion](https://www.descentpress.com/index/introversion/); [thinking](https://www.descentpress.com/index/thinking/); [consciousness](https://www.descentpress.com/index/consciousness/); [ego](https://www.descentpress.com/index/ego/); [analysis-jungian](https://www.descentpress.com/index/analysis-jungian/).

## References

Samuels, A., Shorter, B., & Plaut, F. (1986). *A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis*. Routledge.

Sharp, D. (1991). *Jung lexicon: A primer of terms & concepts*. Inner City Books.

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