The brain has two hemispheres. It is a bicameral organ. I suspect that the ability for one half of our consciousnesss to be able to watch the other interacting with external reality without that other consciouness fully realizing it is being observed is the key to understanding the riddle of self-awareness, or sentience.

Who was it that said "The unexamined life is not worth living?" I too believe that wisdom is very much dependent on our ability to withdraw from our own consciousness and to observe, and even critique, our own behavior, as if we were an outsider. True objectivity demands that we be able to view ourselves abstractly, to see ourselves as others see us, to give ourselves a good talking to every now and then.

Too much of this leads to indecision, perhaps even schizophrenia, but a certain amount is essential or we will have no personal equipment available to us as a check on our mental activity.

I've spent a lot of time in my own head, trying to figure out just how it works, what makes me tick. I can't claim to be any smarter than anyone else, but I do have a very good idea just how smart I am. I know what I'm capable of, and I know what my limitations are as well. And I know people who have never done this, and never gone there. They're not that hard to spot once you know what to look for.