metareasoning means reasoning about the nature of reasoning itself. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
Why “metareasoning” is a great word
Metareasoning is the analytical process of reasoning about the nature, methods, and strategies of reasoning itself. From the Greek-derived prefix meta- (meaning 'beyond' or 'about') appended to reasoning. Unlike introspection, which broadly plumbs the murky waters of feeling and memory, or ratiocination, which is the forward march of logic itself, metareasoning is the mind's quiet overseer in the control room. It is the chess player analyzing the quality of their own gambits; the writer deleting an eloquent paragraph because it fails to advance the argument; the sudden, clarifying doubt that asks, 'Am I thinking about this correctly?'—a recursive loop of self-correction where the mind is both the tool and the thing being sharpened.
Etymology
From meta- + reasoning.
noun
- Reasoning about the nature of reasoning itself.