I once returned to hands-on marketing work while employed at a startup. Given the nature of startups, immediate execution was more important than theory or strategy, so I had no choice but to dive back into the practical work. Previously, I had mainly been in a position receiving reports from staff and giving instructions, so actually facing the practical work again after so long led to many moments of confusion. Through that process, I deeply realized I hadn’t truly grasped the practical work, and I proceeded with the tasks while relearning from the basics. In short, I realized that **‘I didn’t even know what I didn’t know’**.

The term **‘metacognition’**, frequently used recently, means ‘thinking about one’s own thinking’. This signifies self-reflection, the process of clearly recognizing what one knows and what one doesn’t know. High metacognition inevitably leads to humility. It stems from acknowledging that one’s experience and knowledge are not eternal, and from continuously learning, rethinking, and embracing change. Conversely, those with low metacognition fail to recognize their own ignorance. Drunk on limited experience and past minor successes, they fall into confirmation bias and refuse to change their thinking, ultimately becoming obsolete. This is a common trait seen in the leaders of failing companies or declining nations.

There was once a smartphone called ‘BlackBerry’ that enjoyed phenomenal popularity in the North American market. Equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, it allowed users to send and receive emails anytime, anywhere, making it beloved as an essential tool for businesspeople and the official work device for corporations. However, even after Apple’s iPhone emerged and the industry standard shifted to touchscreen UI, BlackBerry stubbornly clung to its keyboard until it vanished into history. Behind that stubborn decision was a CEO who refused to change or compromise. I once saw news about a robot developed in Japan that automatically stamps documents. It made me realize that examples of refusing to adapt to changing times and clinging to the past exist everywhere.

**Think Again** emphasizes the importance of constantly learning to flexibly change one’s thinking and the attitude of continually questioning facts one believes to be true. The case of IBM’s AI ‘Project Debater’ facing off against world debate champion Harish Natarajan was particularly striking. Even from a disadvantageous position, Harish wielded the power to make the judges ‘rethink their stance,’ ultimately securing victory. This demonstrates the immense power of changing one’s perspective.

In my own work in business development and sales, I experience daily how difficult and crucial it is to sway the minds of client representatives. Especially in corporate sales, you must spark a wind of change across the entire organization, beyond just one individual’s thoughts. The process of communicating and persuading across multiple departments feels like an **‘art’** akin to conducting an orchestra, transcending mere information and logical arguments. Just as the same score produces different melodies depending on the conductor, I too will embrace ‘not knowing’ to achieve differentiated results. I will strive to live a life of constant change, building and organizing knowledge daily while embracing new ideas.