Uninternalized

The adjective 'uninternalized' describes something that has not been accepted, understood, or integrated as a deeply held belief, value, or characteristic within an individual's psyche or personality. It signifies a lack of assimilation, often referring to information, emotions, or societal norms that remain external to one's core self. An uninternalized concept is essentially observed, learned, or experienced without becoming a personal truth or influencing behavior in a consistent and authentic manner. The individual may understand the concept intellectually or perform the associated actions superficially, but it does not shape their fundamental worldview or emotional responses. This often results in a disconnect between stated beliefs and actual behavior, or a lack of genuine emotional engagement with the subject matter. The state of uninternalization can be temporary, a stage in a person's growth, or a long-term condition depending on an individual's beliefs.

Uninternalized meaning with examples

• Despite years of religious education, the child's understanding of forgiveness remained uninternalized. They could recite the prayers, but their actions often demonstrated a lack of true compassion and understanding for others' mistakes, indicating the lesson hadn't fully taken root.
• The student's arguments in favor of environmental protection felt uninternalized. While they repeated facts about climate change in their essays, their lifestyle showed no changes; recycling, using public transportation, and lessening their impact was absent.
• The therapy revealed the client’s expression of self-love was uninternalized. They could repeat affirmations about self-worth, but underlying feelings of inadequacy and self-criticism persisted. The words were external, not reflected within.
• The employee's commitment to company values was uninternalized. They knew the slogan, and they said the right things to their boss, but when nobody was watching, they took shortcuts. The actions did not match the professed beliefs.
• The actor’s performance of grief felt uninternalized, almost mechanical. Their words were correct, but the lack of true emotion suggested they had not personally connected with the character’s pain or the situation in the play.