Metacognition

Metacognition, or “thinking about thinking,” used to be one of the standard definitions for what sets humans apart from the other animals. In short, the ability to contemplate one’s own consciousness (which leads to contemplating one’s place in the universe, one's own mortality, etc.) is what makes us “human.” Recently, however, some scientists and philosophers have argued that other animals—such as apes and dolphins—show this metacognition.

At any rate, can thinking about our thinking make us into better writers, especially if it leads us to consider our experiences in new ways? Joyce Dyer, in an essay in today’s New York Times, suggests that it can.