reflect on themselves

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "reflect on themselves" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when you want to express that someone is taking time to think about their own behavior, feelings, or beliefs. For example: The students were encouraged to take a moment to reflect on themselves and their role in the conflict.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

This tattered tribe -- a pair of actors, a magazine writer and his corporate-executive wife, her sister and others -- is introduced via still photographs and voice-over interviews during which they reflect on themselves, one another and various other matters.

The New York Times

Some psychologists have started "prescribing" danshari to their patients to get them to reflect on themselves, and Yamashita says danshari can even be good for relationships: Once you've decluttered, you're more likely to invite people home.

The Washington Post

It follows that companies in their particular digital transformations should reflect on themselves as software organizations.

European Journal of Futures Research

By creating the space for the next generation of leaders to reflect on themselves, their values, their good characteristics and what they can work on, they become more confident to experiment, innovate and fail.

Forbes

But from a 100,000 foot view of Earth in the last, say, 4.5 billion years, the direction of life on Earth looks approximately clear: given enough time, a process that started with simple organic molecules slowly-but-steadily built organisms with brains that can reflect on themselves.

TechCrunch

"We want to ask questions, we want to encourage people to ask themselves, we want to encourage people to reflect on themselves and how they deal with their pain and how they look at each other". Generation Rx is out on 14 September through MDDN/BMG.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

According to Korsgaard, "the normative question" arises for humans insofar as they are capable of reflecting on themselves and considering their thoughts and desires from a detached perspective.

SEP

Through these experiences, they exhaustively reflected on themselves and their situations and thought about their future direction.

BMC Medical Education

Issues raised by faculty members included students blaming others without reflecting on themselves and not being good at coping with stress.

BMC Nursing

Rather than reflecting on themselves and making themselves familiar with newer communication skills, GPs shift the blame of failing on an inappropriate system or other extrinsic factors (e.g. cultural and social problems).

BMC Family Practice

As the young girls reflect on weighing themselves at birthday parties and sucking in their stomachs when they wore bikinis at camp, they prove that body image issues start at a young age.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "reflect on themselves" when emphasizing a conscious process of self-assessment, especially after an event or during a period of change.

Common error

Ensure that the reflexive pronoun "themselves" correctly refers back to the subject of the sentence. Misuse can lead to ambiguity or grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "reflect on themselves" serves as an intransitive verb phrase indicating the act of self-assessment or introspection. Ludwig AI confirms its usability, and the examples demonstrate its function across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "reflect on themselves" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression for indicating introspection and self-assessment. Ludwig AI validates its proper usage, confirming its widespread presence across various domains, from News & Media to Academia and Science. While versatile, it's crucial to ensure correct reflexive pronoun usage to avoid ambiguity. Consider alternatives like "engage in self-reflection" or "examine their own behavior" for varied expression, but "reflect on themselves" remains a reliable choice for prompting self-awareness and personal growth.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

engage in self-reflection

This alternative uses a noun phrase to describe the act of reflecting, changing the verb-preposition structure.

examine their own behavior

This alternative replaces "reflect" with "examine" and specifies "behavior", offering a more direct approach.

contemplate their own actions

This alternative substitutes "reflect" with "contemplate", focusing on reviewing "actions".

assess their own performance

This focuses specifically on evaluating "performance", adding a layer of judgment.

look inward

This alternative offers a more concise and metaphorical way to express introspection.

think deeply about themselves

This uses simpler language to convey the act of reflecting, focusing on deep thought.

consider their own selves

Replaces "reflect on" with "consider", slightly altering the focus.

introspect about their being

Uses "introspect" for a more formal tone and focuses on "being".

analyze their inner thoughts

This alternative replaces 'reflect' with 'analyze' and focuses on 'inner thoughts'.

self-scrutinize

This condenses the phrase into a single verb, indicating a rigorous self-examination.

FAQs

How can I use "reflect on themselves" in a sentence?

Use "reflect on themselves" to indicate that a group or individuals are considering their own actions, qualities, or impact. For example, "The team members were asked to reflect on themselves after the project's completion".

What's a more formal way to say "reflect on themselves"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "engage in self-reflection" or "contemplate their own actions", which offer a more sophisticated vocabulary.

Is it ever incorrect to use "reflect on themselves"?

While grammatically correct, "reflect on themselves" might be redundant if the context already implies self-reflection. In such cases, simply using "reflect" might be more concise.

What's the difference between "reflect on themselves" and "examine their own behavior"?

"Reflect on themselves" implies a broader consideration of one's qualities and actions, while "examine their own behavior" suggests a more critical and analytical review of specific actions.