evolution

[Anomalocaris]

A computer model of how one’s interaction with one’s environment would go certainly seem to facilitate deeper predication of consequences of command decisions.     So self awareness, a software model including  many or all of one’s external interaction, would seem to facilitate much better and more sophisticated planning than could a command and control structure based on a reasonably sized set of heuristics.

However, to facilitate does not mean to realize.    Furthermore, even if realized, Better and more sophisticated planning may impart local survival advantage, but not global survival disadvantage.    Widespread planning ability may nullify eachother's and result in self-destructive stalemate.

So that there might be some advantage to having self awareness seems difficult to dispute.   But whether the overall effect of having self awareness is advantageous is too soon to tell.

There may be no one left to listen when it is told.