“The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit” (Proverbs 14:8).
Metacognition is a fancy sounding word which is most easily defined as “thinking about your thinking”. When used in an educational setting, it is the challenge given to a student to describe the process he/she used to think through a problem-solving exercise to arrive at his/her conclusion. This self-reflection can help a teacher to identify a student’s problem-solving strengths and weaknesses.
Self-reflection is an essential component of prudent living. A wise person has identified the root cause(s) of lifelong habits and patterns of thinking, and in areas where changes need to be made, he has sought to transform his thinking by the renewing (renovating) of faulty thought processes (Rom. 12:2). Knowing why certain words or actions trigger an immediate response of fear, anger, or anxiety is prudent. Self-understanding is integral to wisdom.
A fool “ain’t got time for that.” He would rather make excuses for his bad behavior and stinking thinking. Self-reflection and self-improvement are not a concern or a priority for him. The folly of a fool is self-evident.
