Self-___

As a detective, I had to approach the crossword clue ‘Self-‘ with a methodical and analytical mindset. Initially, the blank space didn’t provide much information, but I knew that the solution had to relate to the concept of self. I scanned my mental database of vocabulary and synonyms, and the word ‘aware‘ emerged as a likely candidate. The hyphenated prefix ‘self-‘ typically signifies introspection or self-reflection. The word ‘aware‘ encapsulates this by definition, meaning to have knowledge or perception of one’s surroundings or internal state. With the letters ‘A’, ‘W’, ‘A’, ‘R’, and ‘E’ roughly in place, I felt confident in my reasoning and filled in the answer. A successful detective knows the value of deduction and intuition, and I was pleased with the insights that had led me to solve the mystery of the crossword clue ‘Self-‘.