observation (and analysis of matters outside oneself, i.e., of the outside world) n.: extrospection
[This word is the less common, but legitimate, opposite of introspection. A photographer’s work is sometimes said to be extrospective. The word is not to be confused with an extrovert, a person who has more interest in his environment and others than in himself. An extrovert participates, while an extrospective person observes. In the example given, the author appears to be suggesting that, for the reason given, Los Angeles almost considers itself to be outside of the United States, or vice versa.]
It’s not surprising that, in films, LA figures in so many criminal masterplans, or that so many aliens from outer space decide to land there—it is the centre of the movie-making universe, after all, and its extreme parochialism makes the rest of the United States seem almost extrospective. (Anne Bilson, The Arts: “Stop That Magma Cinema,” Sunday Telegraph [London], 10/5/1997.)
