檢視自己的行為和動機
這一組把那道目光對準自己的想法和作為，是這個字比較常見、也比較嚴肅的用法。
noun · C1
The act of thinking carefully and honestly about your own actions, your reasons for doing them, and your own state of mind, in order to judge whether they are right or wrong.
自我反省
核心畫面
One way to hold this word: the careful look a doctor or an inspector gives something, turned around and pointed at yourself. The looking is slow, it follows a method, and it is done to find what is really there rather than what you hope is there. What changes between the two meanings is only what you are looking at — your own conduct, or your own body.
這個字的畫面可以想成：醫生或檢查員仔細端詳一樣東西時的那種目光，被轉了個方向，對準自己。這種看是慢的、有方法的，目的…更多收起
這個字的畫面可以想成：醫生或檢查員仔細端詳一樣東西時的那種目光，被轉了個方向，對準自己。這種看是慢的、有方法的，目的是找出實際存在的東西，而不是你希望存在的東西。兩個意思之間換的只有一件事：被看的是自己的行為，還是自己的身體。From the word’s history
Wiktionary analyses the word as self- + examination, with self- traced back through Middle English to Old English self.
根據 Wiktionary，這個字就是 self- 加上 examination；self- 這個前綴經由中古英語一路上溯到古英語的 self。examination 本來講的是把一樣東西仔細看過一遍，前面掛上 self- 之後，被看的對象就變成自己。
Wiktionary entry for 'self-examination' (kaikki extract, etymology_text: 'From self- + examination', with the self- chain Old English self > Middle English self- > English self-)
Two branches
檢查自己的身體
同一道目光，換成對準身體：一樣是慢慢地、照步驟地看，只是這次找的是早期的異常。這是一種理解兩個用法的方式，不是在說哪一個先出現。
noun · C1
The practice of checking parts of your own body, usually in a regular way, to look for early signs of an illness.
自我檢查