externalization

/eks,tə:nəlai'zeiʃn/

Thân thiện

The company's externalization of its customer service improved efficiency.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of embodying something in an outward or concrete form: The process of giving external, tangible, or visible existence to an idea, feeling, or internal state.
   • The attribution of one's own thoughts, feelings, or motives to external causes or other people: A psychological process where internal experiences are perceived as originating from the outside.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The sculpture was an externalization of the artist's grief. (The sculpture gave a physical form to the artist's internal feeling of grief.)
  • His constant criticism of others is often seen as an externalization of his own insecurities. (His criticism represents him attributing his own feelings of insecurity to other people.)

Advanced Usage

• In Psychology: The term is used to describe a defense mechanism where a person projects their internal conflicts onto the external world.
  • In therapy, we worked on reducing his externalization of blame.
• In Business/Philosophy: Refers to the process of making an abstract concept (like a business process) explicit and measurable.
  • The externalization of tacit knowledge is a key challenge for the organization.

Variants and Related Words

• Externalize (verb): To give external expression or form to; to attribute to external causes.
  • She externalized her anxiety through painting.
• External (adjective): Belonging to, situated on, or derived from the outside.

Synonyms

• Embodiment: The tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling.
• Projection: The unconscious transfer of one's own desires or emotions to others (a specific type of externalization in psychology).
• Manifestation: An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract.

Antonyms

• Internalization: The process of making attitudes, behaviors, or standards part of one's own nature by learning or unconscious assimilation.
• Introjection: The unconscious adoption of the ideas or attitudes of others.

Related Phrases/Concepts

• Acting out: Behaving in an overt way that expresses unconscious feelings (a form of behavioral externalization).
• Objectification: Treating a person as an object, which can be related to the externalization of abstract qualities onto them.

Học thuật

Noun

1. embodying in an outward form
2. attributing to outside causes

Từ đồng nghĩa

• externalisation
• exteriorization
• exteriorisation