If the environment changes, then there is a fitness benefit to being an adaptable organism. On the other hand, adaptability is costly (bigger brain for adjusting behaviour, various backup systems in the body like the camel’s hump need to be carried around). So adaptability gives a net benefit if the environment changes sufficiently rapidly.
If periods of change alternate with periods of constant environment, then it would be useful to have the ability to switch adaptability off for a while. This is adaptable adaptability. The ability to switch adaptability off is in turn costly. It is useful to have if periods of environmental change alternate with periods of stability sufficiently rapidly. It would be good to have an ability to switch off the ability to switch adaptability off if changes and stability alternate with different frequency over time. Even more complex patterns may necessitate the ability to switch the ability to switch the ability to switch adaptability, etc. Hierarchies of abilities controlling abilities arise.
Perhaps after an infinite hierarchy, there is some meta-ability that can switch all lower order abilities. Self-awareness or something similar.