Reflection

The word “reflection” (lat. Reflexio) has another meaning – turning back, rotation. This is an analysis and understanding of one’s inner world, it can be said that it is an inventory of one’s reserves. The list of which includes: emotions, feelings, motives, goals, actions, instructions, and assessment of relationships.

The term originated first in philosophy, then became popular in other fields of knowledge, including psychology.

Reflection in psychology means a set of thoughts, a look turned to the past. More precisely, the definition is interpreted as self-immersion, knowledge of one’s personality, and a journey into the depths of one’s psyche. By the way, many films made by famous directors are based on this phenomenon. This technique is often used to create an exciting flashback and an unexpected denouement at the end.

It is difficult to call this phenomenon only mental work. Everything is interconnected here: spiritual sphere, reflection, the emotional component, and assessment of everything that is happening or happened in the past. This is not an innate ability, like a reflex, but an acquired ability to engage in self-knowledge and self-evaluation. The process can be unpleasant and painful, as self-criticism and understanding the reasons and motives of committed actions can cause discomfort. But this process is necessary for the successful development of a person as an individual. Without reflection, you cannot become better and avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. Different types of reflection are distinguished: linguistic (aimed at a person’s analysis of the peculiarities of his language), personal (its goal is to learn about the properties and specifics of his personality), intellectual (formation of a person’s ideas about his intellectual abilities), emotional (a person’s knowledge and study of his emotional sphere).

The category of time also affects the form of reflection – in this sense, situational, retrospective, and prospective reflection are distinguished. The first type is related to the situation as a whole, the analysis of the individual’s accompanying reactions. The retrospective is an assessment of events and actions related to the past. Prospective reflection allows you to analyze future activities.