internalize
in-TUR-nuh-lyze
/ɪnˈtɜːr.nə.laɪz/
To make attitudes, values, or behaviors part of one's core nature by learning or unconscious assimilation.
Describes moving from external compliance to deeply held personal conviction or automatic habit.
The story behind the word. Derived from Medieval Latin 'internalis', built on Latin 'inter' (within). Introduced to sociology and psychoanalysis by Talcott Parsons and Lev Vygotsky to explain how culture moves from outside social groups into the inner self.
Word relationships
- assimilate: Assimilate emphasizes absorbing information into an existing mental system; internalize emphasizes adopting values into personal identity.
- absorb: Absorb is broad and passive; internalize is psychological and shapes moral/behavioral direction.
- externalize: Externalize means projecting inner feelings onto external targets or expressing them outwardly.
- reject: Reject means refusing to accept external ideas or values.
Commonly confused with
- internationalize: Internationalize means bringing under global control; internalize means bringing inside one's personal mind.
Word family
- internalization (noun): The psychological process of absorbing external values into self-identity.
- internal (adjective): Located inside or relating to the interior.
Collocations
- internalize values
- internalize criticism
- internalize norms
- internalize rules
Idioms & expressions
- take to heart
- make part of oneself
Example sentences
- "Children eventually internalize social rules, feeling guilty when breaking them even without adult supervision." Developmental Psychology
- "Employees who internalize the company's ethical code act responsibly even when unmonitored." Organizational Behavior
Memory hook
INTERNAL-ize = bring ideas into your INTERNAL core. Make external values INTERNAL.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'memorize'; internalize means absorbing values or routines until they govern behavior naturally.
Fun facts
- According to psychologist Lev Vygotsky, language begins as external speech between people and is later internalized into silent thought!
Related words
Explore more words
internalization, socialization, assimilate, conform, assimilation, comply
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