Intellectualization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cognitive strategy that involves the transformation of emotional experiences into logical reasoning to gain understanding and manage feelings
2. A mental approach that focuses on rationalizing emotional responses to enhance comprehension and emotional regulation
3. The process of removing emotional significance from experiences by analyzing them logically to protect the mind from distress

Etymology: Intellectualization is a plain, transparent formation: it combines "intellectual" with the suffix "-ization," or alternatively builds on the verb "intellectualize" with "-ation." Both routes lead to the same result, a noun naming the act or process of making something intellectual, or of approaching it through reasoning. The adjective "intellectual" comes from Latin "intellectualis," itself from "intellectus," meaning understanding or comprehension, from "intellegere," to perceive or discern. The suffix "-ize" (from Greek "-izein") turns the adjective into a verb meaning to make or treat something in a certain way, and "-ation" or "-ization" then names the resulting action. The noun's psychological sense, the one given here, is a layer added on top of this general meaning: treating a feeling as a problem to be analysed rather than something to be felt.

Synonyms: rationalization, cognition, analysis

Antonyms: emotionality, irrationality