self-critical
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self-critical
Having the ability to critically examine one's own behavior, achievements, and views, and to recognize mistakes or weaknesses in oneself.
Er ging sehr selbstkritisch mit seiner Leistung im Wettkampf um.
He was very self-critical about his performance in the competition.
The adjective 'selbstkritisch' (self-critical) is made up of 'selbst' (self) and 'kritisch' (critical). Its meaning is therefore very transparent: it describes a person who directs criticism at themselves.
Ein selbstkritischer Künstler ist selten mit seinem eigenen Werk zufrieden.
A self-critical artist is rarely satisfied with their own work.
The adjective is often used with the preposition 'mit' (with) to describe what the criticism refers to. Typical phrases are 'selbstkritisch mit sich selbst sein' (to be self-critical of oneself) or 'selbstkritisch mit der eigenen Leistung umgehen' (to take a self-critical approach to one's own performance).
Sie ist oft zu selbstkritisch mit sich und ihren Fähigkeiten.
She is often too self-critical about herself and her abilities.
'Selbstkritisch' (self-critical) is often used as an adverb with verbs of reflection and analysis. Common combinations are 'etwas selbstkritisch betrachten' (to view something self-critically), 'hinterfragen' (to question), or 'prüfen' (to examine).
Man sollte die eigenen Entscheidungen von Zeit zu Zeit selbstkritisch hinterfragen.
You should question your own decisions self-critically from time to time.
critical
'kritisch' and 'selbstkritisch' are closely related because both have to do with examining and evaluating something carefully. 'kritisch' can refer to other people, ideas, texts, or situations. Someone then also notices mistakes or problems. 'selbstkritisch' directs this attitude toward oneself: a person examines their own behavior or performance and recognizes their own weaknesses. The words can be confused because 'selbstkritisch' contains the word 'kritisch'. The important point is the direction: 'kritisch' toward something or someone, 'selbstkritisch' toward oneself.
Mein Bruder ist selbstkritisch, wenn er nach dem Training über seine Fehler spricht.
My brother is self-critical when he talks about his mistakes after training.
Nach der Präsentation stellte die Kundin mehrere kritische Fragen.
After the presentation, the customer asked several critical questions.