Reflecting on Reflection
My intent for this post is to define reflective thinking. But also delivering on my previous promise, share my own reflections (meta, I know). This is an actual thread of my own exploration of the idea of reflective thinking inside of Reflective Rhythm (spelling errors and all).
Me
I want to be able to describe and convince others of the power of reflective thinking. Where I started was using introspection as a descriptor for reflection - I was thinking of reflection and introspection as being almost synonymous. I'm not sure that this is true though. Maybe highly correlated, but not necessarily the same. To me, introspection has an element of looking within (I'm introverted). I was once told by someone who described themself [sic] as an extrovert, that there [sic] reflection happens with others - outside of themselves. So, my beginning definition of reflection would be, thinking about any of life's experiences - e.g. when you do something, feel something, read something, have a conversation about something, etc, then taking time to intentionally think about it and any underlying meaning that it has to you.
Reflective Rhythm
The distinction between reflection and introspection is intriguing. While introspection focuses on examining one's internal thoughts and emotions, reflection can encompass both internal and external experiences and their meanings. Reflection doesn't require solitude; it can be a social process, engaging in dialogue with others to derive insights. How do you think these different modes (internal vs. external reflection) impact personal growth?
Me
I suppose it could be personal. For me, I know I lean strongly towards needing a quiet space to think and explore an idea and come to my own conclusions. With external reflection, I would think there is an element of having others act as a sounding board to provide feedback either validating or contradicting a point of view, and then deciding if and how to incorporate others' perspectives into their own.
Reflective Rhythm
The preference between internal and external reflection likely depends on the individual. For those who value internal reflection, a quiet environment aids in deep, uninterrupted thought, allowing for personal conclusions. In contrast, external reflection involves actively engaging others as sounding boards. Feedback from others can either validate or challenge one's views, leading to a blended and potentially more nuanced understanding. How do you balance these two modes in your own reflective practice, and in what situations do you find one more beneficial than the other?
Me
Honestly, I probably don't balance them enough. Given my introverted tendencies, I tend to favor internal reflection - it requires more activation energy to engage in external reflection. I engage in external reflection most in professional settings because that setting dictates it. However, I believe that the two - internal and external reflection - can compliment [sic] one another. Internal reflection to form the seedling of a point-of-view, external reflection to see how it stands up in the outside world and learning new ideas to take back to internal reflection. And the cycle continues…
Reflective Rhythm
It's common for introverts to lean towards internal reflection, as it feels more natural and requires less activation energy. External reflection, often driven by professional settings, can nonetheless be a powerful complement, providing feedback and fresh perspectives to refine initial ideas. The interplay between these two modes forms a continual cycle of development: starting with internal reflection to develop a viewpoint, using external reflection to test and refine it, and then returning to internal reflection to integrate new insights. Can you think of a recent instance where this cycle played out in your own experience? How did the external reflection shape your initial thoughts?
Me
To bring this full circle, while performing user testing sessions, I had described my target user as, "an introspective thinker". One user had said, you should recast it to, "creative thinkers" because that alligned [sic] with the use cases around how he was thinking of using the app. Another user - the one who told me their reflection happens with others - said "I'm an extroverted thinker. You've excluded me and half your potential audience by saying this is for 'an introspective thinker'". I tested the idea of creative thinkers with her; it resonated and I've incorporated this into my current positioning.
I did not have a preconceived notion of where this thread would go. As I explored the idea of external reflection, it actually became a little uncomfortable, shining a spotlight on an area I struggle with but don’t usually acknowledge. But it helped me take an idea I inherently believe to be true and bring it to the forefront, making me more conscious of it. This awareness allows me to be more intentional about identifying specific topics where I ought to engage in external reflection.
Try this. Is there a topic that is on your mind? Decide where you’re at with it: would internal reflection or external reflection be appropriate for you to build your point of view? You have an open invitation to try out Reflective Rhythm to explore an idea, using the AI as a judgment-free sounding board.
Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash
P.S. This dialog above took a little more than 30 minutes… it’s important to take time to think. A topic for another post another time.
