1 : a reflective examination (as of one's beliefs or motives) : introspection. 2 : examination of one's body especially for evidence of disease.

What is the purpose of examining oneself?

Self-examination is the act of examining your own body to check whether or not you have any signs of a particular disease or illness. Breast self-examination is invaluable for detecting cancer in its very early stages.

What is self-examination in psychology?

Self-examination is one of many spiritual practices present across many wisdom traditions that we would do well to implement in our own lives. In a discussion of this practice, contemporary philosopher James Gould says that self-examination is the "regular monitoring and assessment of our own moral progress."