Metacognition - reflection and life-long learning

Metacognition is an awareness of one's thought processes and an understanding of the patterns behind them. 

The term comes from the root word meta, meaning "beyond", or "on top of".

"At its core, it is a basic survival strategy, and has been shown to be present even in rats. Perhaps the most important reason for developing metacognition is that it can improve the application of knowledge, skills, and character qualities in realms beyond the immediate context in which they were learned." (Fadel)

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46038/the-role-of-metacognition-in-learning-and-achievement