Metacognition: Thinking About Thinking
Metacognition is a big word, but the idea is simple.
It means thinking about your thinking.
It is the skill of noticing how your mind works, checking if your thinking makes sense, and changing it if needed. It is like having a coach inside your brain.
The Origin of Metacognition-
The word metacognition was first used by a psychologist named John H. Flavell in the 1970s. He wanted to explain how people can be aware of their own thoughts.
Before this, most scientists studied behaviour — what people did. Flavell helped people understand that how we think about our thinking also matters.
The study of the human psyche has always held my attention. I spend a significant amount of time observing social dynamics, analyzing interactions, and listening carefully as people share their histories. I try to understand their current positions in light of the experiences that shaped them across a lifetime. There is something deeply satisfying about recognizing patterns in behaviour and making sense of why people respond the way they do.
Metacognition—examining my own thinking while evaluating the thinking of others—has become central to how I move through the world. I am committed to daily refinement. I actively seek both positive and constructive feedback. I value relational communication and make an effort to understand the background, motivations, and formative experiences of those who enter my life.
Engaging in this ongoing reflective process has strengthened my patience and expanded my capacity for forgiveness and understanding. It has also exposed and reduced the bitterness and resentment that once operated beneath the surface. What I once carried unconsciously as emotional weight has gradually been replaced with clarity and intentional growth.
The Two Main Parts of Metacognition
Part One: Knowing About Your Thinking
This means understanding things like:
What you are good at
What is hard for you
How you learn best
What a task really requires
Example: A student knows they understand math better when they practice problems instead of just reading notes. That is knowing about their own thinking.
Part Two: Controlling Your Thinking
This means:
Planning what to do
Checking if it’s working
Fixing it if it’s not
Example: You are reading a book and realize you don’t understand the last page. So you go back and reread it more slowly. That is controlling your thinking.
Everyday Examples:
—- Strong Metacognition
A Doctor in the Emergency Room
The doctor notices they might be jumping to conclusions. They stop and ask, “Could this be something else?” That pause helps prevent mistakes.
A Good Athlete
A soccer player watches a replay of their game. They notice they rush when they feel nervous. Next game, they slow their breathing before passing the ball.
A Calm Leader
A manager feels angry in a meeting. Instead of speaking right away, they wait, think it through, and respond later.
In all these cases, the person is not just acting — they are checking their thinking first.
— Mild Metacognition
A Student Who Studies the Same Way Every Time
They keep rereading notes, even if their test scores don’t improve. They don’t change their strategy.
Someone in an Argument
They think about what happened but only focus on what the other person did wrong.
A Skilled Worker
They do their job well but can’t explain how they solve problems or how they would handle a new situation.
These people are thinking, but they are not deeply checking or adjusting their thinking.
Metacognition & Me
Recently, I completed an IQ assessment through a prospective employer and scored 139. While that does not place me in the “genius” category, it sits firmly in the very high range, and I am proud of it. More importantly than the number itself, I recognize that my critical thinking continues to sharpen and refine with experience.
As a Registered Nurse, I am required to process complex information rapidly, make sound clinical judgments under pressure, and maintain composure in highly stressful situations. The ability to think clearly while others are overwhelmed is not optional in my profession — it is essential.
Alongside analytical reasoning, intuition has become one of my strongest assets. Years of pattern recognition, personal and professional human interaction, and exposure to varied clinical presentations have strengthened that internal signal. When disciplined logic and well-calibrated intuition operate together, decision-making becomes both efficient and precise.
The integration of structured critical thinking and grounded intuition is not common. It is a foundation I value deeply and intend to use in service of mankind. Just have to figure that piece out still-
Why Is Metacognition Important?
People with strong metacognition:
Learn faster
Make fewer mistakes
Handle emotions better
Improve over time
Accept helpful feedback
People with weak metacognition may:
Repeat the same mistakes
Blame others quickly
Feel attacked by criticism
Overestimate how right they are
Metacognition helps you grow because it helps you notice what needs to change.
A Simple Way to See the Difference-
Imagine someone gives you criticism.
Low metacognition:
You react right away.
Medium metacognition:
You think about it briefly.
Strong metacognition:
You separate emotion from facts, decide what is useful, and choose how to respond.
One More Example-
You are learning something new.
Low metacognition:
You practice the same way, even if it is not working.
Strong metacognition:
You ask yourself, “Why isn’t this working?” Then you try a different approach.
Final Thought-
Metacognition is not about overthinking.
It is about noticing your thinking, checking it, and improving it.
It is the difference between reacting and choosing.
Between guessing and checking.
Between repeating mistakes and learning from them.
Here is a simple question to ask yourself:
When something doesn’t go the way you hoped, do you ask, “What can I learn from how I handled that?
Written by Shanda L Kaus RN BScN
February 16, 2026