# How to Take Smart Notes  ## Metadata - Author: [[Sönke Ahrens]] - Full Title: How to Take Smart Notes - Category: #books ## Highlights - Most people struggle for much more mundane reasons, ([Location 153](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=153)) - good, productive writing is based on good note-taking. ([Location 155](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=155)) - Doing the work required and doing it in a smart way leads, somehow unsurprisingly, to success. ([Location 169](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=169)) - self-control and self-discipline have much more to do with our environment than with ourselves ([Location 176](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=176)) - Having a meaningful and well-defined task beats willpower every time. ([Location 179](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=179)) - “I never force myself to do anything I don’t feel like. Whenever I am stuck, I do something else.” ([Location 188](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=188)) - A good, structured workflow puts us back in charge ([Location 200](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=200)) - you would rather be an expert than a planner. ([Location 215](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=215)) - a system is needed to keep track of the ever-increasing pool of information, ([Location 224](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=224)) - You can start working and developing ideas immediately by taking smart notes. ([Location 243](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=243)) - The best way to deal with complexity is to keep things as simple as possible and to follow a few basic principles. ([Location 251](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=251)) - There is really no need to reorganise anything you already have. ([Location 257](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=257)) - technique of the simple slip-box. ([Location 260](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=260)) - change your daily routines the tool is embedded in, ([Location 265](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=265)) - GTD is to collect everything that needs to be taken care of in one place and process it in a standardised way. ([Location 274](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=274)) - most distractions do not come so much from our environment, but our own minds. ([Location 280](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=280)) - is also difficult to anticipate which step has to be taken after the next one. ([Location 287](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=287)) - Writing is not a linear process. ([Location 290](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=290)) - secret to a successful organization lies in the holistic perspective. ([Location 295](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=295)) - There is no point in having great tools if they don’t fit together. ([Location 298](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=298)) - Only if you can trust your system, only if you really know that everything will be taken care of, will your brain let go and let you focus on the task at hand. ([Location 302](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=302)) - Niklas Luhmann. ([Location 308](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=308)) - Just amassing notes in one place would not lead to anything other than a mass of notes. ([Location 320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=320)) - he never made himself do anything he didn’t feel like, ([Location 370](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=370)) - Instead of struggling with adverse dynamics, highly productive people deflect resistance, very much like judo champions. ([Location 383](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=383)) - two slip-boxes: ([Location 416](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=416)) - bibliographical one, ([Location 416](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=416)) - the main one in which he collected and generated his ideas, ([Location 417](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=417)) - The trick is that he did not organise his notes by topic, but in the rather abstract way of giving them fixed numbers. ([Location 435](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=435)) - The last element in his file system was an index, ([Location 449](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=449)) - Editing is work that needs focus. ([Location 466](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=466)) - Writing is, without dispute, the best facilitator for thinking, reading, learning, understanding and generating ideas we have. ([Location 494](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=494)) - Make fleeting notes. ([Location 511](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=511)) - Tags: [[blue]] - fleeting notes, mere reminders of what is in your head. ([Location 512](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=512)) - Make literature notes. ([Location 516](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=516)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Whenever you read something, make notes about the content. ([Location 516](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=516)) - use your own words. ([Location 518](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=518)) - Make permanent notes. ([Location 520](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=520)) - Tags: [[blue]] - The idea is not to collect, but to develop ideas, arguments and discussions. ([Location 523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=523)) - Write exactly one note for each idea and write as if you were writing for someone else: ([Location 525](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=525)) - Throw away the fleeting notes from step one and put the literature notes from ([Location 526](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=526)) - step two into your reference system. You can forget about them now. ([Location 527](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=527)) - add your new permanent notes to the slip-box ([Location 529](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=529)) - Develop your topics, questions and research projects bottom up from within the system. ([Location 539](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=539)) - Do not brainstorm for a topic. Look into the slip-box instead ([Location 543](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=543)) - After a while, you will have developed ideas far enough to decide on a topic to write about. ([Location 548](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=548)) - copy them onto your “desktop”[6] and bring them in order. ([Location 551](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=551)) - Turn your notes into a rough draft. ([Location 555](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=555)) - Edit and proofread your manuscript. ([Location 558](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=558)) - you never work on just one idea, but many ideas in different stages at the same time. ([Location 560](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=560)) - the accidental encounters make up the majority of what we learn. ([Location 579](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=579)) - Most people follow different lines of thought at the same time. ([Location 583](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=583)) - The slip-box provides an external scaffold to think in and helps with those tasks our brains are not very good at, most of all objective storage of information. ([Location 613](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=613)) - We need four tools: ([Location 619](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=619)) - These notes are not meant to be stored permanently. ([Location 631](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=631)) - make sure everything ends up in one place, a central inbox or something like that, where you can process it soon, ideally within a day. ([Location 633](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=633)) - Zotero, ([Location 637](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=637)) - pen and paper, ([Location 658](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=658)) - editor, ([Location 658](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=658)) - slip-box ([Location 659](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=659)) - reference system ([Location 659](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=659)) - Studying does not prepare students for independent research. It is independent research. ([Location 702](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=702)) - An idea kept private is as good as one you never had. ([Location 705](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=705)) - And a fact no one can reproduce is no fact at all. ([Location 706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=706)) - Both are only there for the truth. ([Location 711](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=711)) - Truth does not belong to anyone; it is the outcome of the scientific exchange of written ideas. ([Location 718](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=718)) - You quickly learn to distinguish good-sounding arguments from actual good ones, ([Location 731](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=731)) - you will improve your reading, thinking and other intellectual skills just by doing everything as if nothing counts other than writing. ([Location 739](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=739)) - Only after aligning every single part of the delivery chain, from packaging to delivery, from the design of the ships to the design of the harbours, was the full potential of the container unleashed. ([Location 772](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=772)) - It wasn’t just another way of shipping goods. It was a whole new way of doing business. ([Location 777](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=777)) - In the old system, the question is: Under which topic do I store this note? ([Location 787](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=787)) - In the new system, the question is: In which context will I want to stumble upon it again? ([Location 787](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=787)) - The slip-box is the shipping container of the academic world. ([Location 791](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=791)) - allowing your brain to focus on thinking instead of remembering. ([Location 798](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=798)) - Fleeting notes, ([Location 804](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=804)) - end up in the trash within a day or two. ([Location 805](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=805)) - Permanent notes, ([Location 806](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=806)) - never be thrown away ([Location 807](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=807)) - Project notes, ([Location 810](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=810)) - relevant to one particular project. ([Location 810](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=810)) - discarded or archived after the project is finished. ([Location 810](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=810)) - The collection of good ideas ([Location 818](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=818)) - is diluted to insignificance by all the other notes, ([Location 818](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=818)) - Fleeting notes are only useful if you review them within a day or so and turn them into proper notes you can use later. ([Location 844](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=844)) - the threshold to write an idea down has to be as low as possible, ([Location 851](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=851)) - bibliographic slip-box ([Location 858](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=858)) - It is the standardised format that enables the notes to build up a critical mass in one place. ([Location 868](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=868)) - separation between fleeting, permanent and project-related notes. ([Location 900](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=900)) - something that continuously grows and reflects our knowledge and understanding externally. ([Location 931](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=931)) - The idea that nobody ever starts from scratch suddenly becomes very concrete. ([Location 937](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=937)) - we literally never have to start from scratch again. ([Location 938](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=938)) - writing is ([Location 954](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=954)) - not a linear process, but a circular one: ([Location 954](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=954)) - accumulate substantial material just by doing what they most feel like doing. ([Location 970](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=970)) - you can’t force insight into a preconceived direction anyway. ([Location 978](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=978)) - endergonic ([Location 986](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=986)) - Only if the work itself becomes rewarding can the dynamic of motivation and reward become self-sustainable and propel the whole process forward ([Location 997](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=997)) - Feedback loops are not only crucial for the dynamics of motivation, but also the key element to any learning process. ([Location 1007](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1007)) - To actively seek and welcome feedback, be it positive or negative, is one of the most important factors for success (and happiness) in the long run. ([Location 1011](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1011)) - fear of failure has the ugliest name of all phobias: Kakorrhaphiophobia. ([Location 1020](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1020)) - the chance to improve your work while you are working on it. ([Location 1028](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1028)) - We tend to think we understand what we read – until we try to rewrite it in our own words. ([Location 1032](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1032)) - The slip-box is not a collection of notes. ([Location 1048](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1048)) - productivity and the quality of the work decreases with multitasking, but that it also impairs the ability to deal with more than one thing at a time! ([Location 1099](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1099)) - Trying to multitask fatigues us and decreases our ability to deal with more than one task. ([Location 1104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1104)) - doing something many times makes us believe we have become good at it – completely independent of our actual performance ([Location 1107](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1107)) - We unfortunately tend to confuse familiarity with skill. ([Location 1108](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1108)) - Focused attention is different from “sustained attention,” ([Location 1124](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1124)) - we can train ourselves to stay focused on one thing for longer if we avoid multitasking, ([Location 1128](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1128)) - A lack of structure makes it much more challenging to stay focused for extended periods of time. ([Location 1131](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1131)) - the slip-box can become a haven for our restless minds. ([Location 1133](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1133)) - We need to get our thoughts on paper first and improve them there, ([Location 1152](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1152)) - While proofreading requires more focused attention, finding the right words during writing requires much more floating attention. ([Location 1156](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1156)) - Working with the slip-box means playing with ideas and looking out for interesting connections and comparisons. ([Location 1166](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1166)) - In short, academic writing requires the whole spectrum of attention. To master the art of writing, we need to be able to apply whatever kind of attention and focus is needed. ([Location 1175](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1175)) - The key to creativity is being able to switch between a wide-open, playful mind and a narrow analytical frame.” ([Location 1186](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1186)) - Unfortunately, the most common way people organise their writing is by making plans. ([Location 1193](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1193)) - Don’t make plans. Become an expert. ([Location 1195](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1195)) - The moment we stop making plans is the moment we start to learn. ([Location 1202](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1202)) - academic writing is an art, as well, which means it is something we can become better at with experience and deliberate practice. ([Location 1210](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1210)) - Teachers tend to mistake the ability to follow (their) rules with the ability to make the right choices in real situations. ([Location 1231](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1231)) - Experts, on the other hand, have internalised the necessary knowledge so they don’t have to actively remember rules or think consciously about their choices. ([Location 1238](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1238)) - The workflow around the slip-box is not a prescription that tells you what to do at what stage of writing. ([Location 1251](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1251)) - It gives you a structure of clearly separable tasks, which can be completed within reasonable time and provides you with instant feedback through interconnected writing tasks. ([Location 1251](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1251)) - Real experts, Flyvbjerg writes unambiguously, don’t make plans ([Location 1256](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1256)) - it is so much easier to remember things we understand than things we don’t. ([Location 1280](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1280)) - Things we understand are connected, ([Location 1282](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1282)) - the Zeigarnik effect: Open tasks tend to occupy our short-term memory – until they are done. ([Location 1297](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1297)) - The brain doesn't distinguish between an actual finished task and one that is postponed by taking a note. ([Location 1300](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1300)) - one of the main advantages of thinking in writing – everything is externalised anyway. ([Location 1317](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1317)) - the third limited resource is motivation or willpower. ([Location 1329](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1329)) - Here, too, the environmental design of our workflow makes all the difference. ([Location 1330](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1330)) - close cooperation with the slip-box turns out to be far superior to any sophisticated planning. ([Location 1330](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1330)) - depletion to refer to a temporary reduction in the self’s capacity or willingness to engage in volitional action ([Location 1335](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1335)) - By always using the same notebook for making quick notes, always extracting the main ideas from a text in the same way and always turning them into the same kind of permanent notes, which are always dealt with in the same manner, the number of decisions during a work session can be greatly reduced. ([Location 1358](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1358)) - To have a walk (Ratey, 2008) or even a nap[24] supports learning and thinking.[25] ([Location 1366](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1366)) - The richer the slip-box becomes, the richer your own thinking becomes. ([Location 1386](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1386)) - I always read with an eye towards possible connections in the slip-box.” ([Location 1406](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1406)) - While selectivity is the key to smart note-taking, it is equally important to be selective in a smart way. ([Location 1456](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1456)) - Confirmation bias is a subtle but major force. ([Location 1468](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1468)) - If insight becomes a threat to your academic or writing success, you are doing it wrong. ([Location 1488](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1488)) - the question of whether something adds to a discussion in the slip-box. The only thing that matters is that it connects or is open to connections. ([Location 1503](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1503)) - One of the most important habitual changes when starting to work with the slip-box is moving the attention from the individual project with our preconceived ideas towards the open connections within the slip-box. ([Location 1506](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1506)) - Textbooks or secondary literature in general cannot take this off our hands, and students who solely rely on them have no chance of becoming “worldly wise.” ([Location 1538](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1538)) - Immanuel Kant ([Location 1539](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1539)) - “Nonage [immaturity] is the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance. ([Location 1540](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1540)) - take notes – not excerpts, ([Location 1549](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1549)) - Being able to re-frame questions, assertions and information is even more important than having an extensive knowledge, ([Location 1562](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1562)) - Taking smart notes is the deliberate practice of these skills. Mere reading, underlining sentences and hoping to remember the content is not. ([Location 1565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1565)) - “If you can’t say it clearly, you don’t understand it yourself.” (John Searle) ([Location 1569](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1569)) - Reading with a pen in your hand is the small-scale equivalent of a lecture. ([Location 1571](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1571)) - The most important advantage of writing is that it helps us to confront ourselves when we do not understand something as well as we would like to believe. ([Location 1580](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1580)) - we need to actively retrieve old knowledge to convince our brains to connect it with new ideas as cues. ([Location 1618](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1618)) - When we try to answer a question before we know how to, we will later remember the answer better, even if our attempt failed ([Location 1633](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1633)) - cramming won’t help you learn. ([Location 1640](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1640)) - the best-researched and most successful learning method is elaboration. ([Location 1648](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1648)) - think beyond the given frames of a text ([Location 1672](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1672)) - do something with these ideas ([Location 1684](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1684)) - We think about what they mean for other lines of thoughts, ([Location 1688](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1688)) - writing a page a day ([Location 1695](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1695)) - half of all doctoral theses will stay unfinished forever ([Location 1706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1706)) - More notes mean more possible connections, more ideas, more synergy between different projects and therefore a much higher degree of productivity. ([Location 1720](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1720)) - Luhmann’s slip-box contains about 90,000 notes, ([Location 1721](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1721)) - six notes a day ([Location 1721](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1721)) - No written piece is ever a copy of a thought in our mind. ([Location 1735](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1735)) - write notes with an eye towards existing notes, ([Location 1743](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1743)) - We reinvent and rewrite our memory every time we try to retrieve information. ([Location 1745](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1745)) - The brain, as Kahneman writes, is “a machine for jumping to conclusions” ([Location 1748](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1748)) - Transferring these ideas into the network of our own thoughts, our latticework of theories, concepts and mental models in the slip-box brings our thinking to the next level. ([Location 1815](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1815)) - Transferring ideas into the external memory also allows us to forget them. ([Location 1820](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1820)) - forgetting actually facilitates long-term learning. ([Location 1821](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1821)) - Although he was very good at remembering facts, Shereshevsky was almost incapable of getting the gist of something, the concepts behind the particulars and distinguishing the relevant facts from minor details. ([Location 1837](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1837)) - for academic thinking and writing, the gift of being able to remember everything is a serious liability. ([Location 1841](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1841)) - Without a very thorough filter, our brains would constantly be flooded by memories, making it impossible to focus on anything in our surroundings. ([Location 1849](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1849)) - Learning would be not so much about saving information, like on a hard disk, but about building connections and bridges between pieces of information ([Location 1867](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1867)) - the very thing that is learning, which is making meaningful connections. ([Location 1894](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1894)) - Abstract information like bibliographic references can be stored externally – there is no benefit in knowing them by heart. ([Location 1909](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1909)) - The challenge of writing as well as learning is therefore not so much to learn, but to understand, as we will already have learned what we understand. ([Location 1911](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1911)) - If you focus your time and energy on understanding, you cannot help but learn. ([Location 1930](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1930)) - slip-box is not sorted by topics ([Location 1941](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1941)) - too much order can impede learning ([Location 1945](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1945)) - elaborating on the differences and similarities of notes instead of sorting them by topic not only facilitates ([Location 1950](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1950)) - learning, but facilitates the ability to categorise and create sensible classifications! ([Location 1951](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1951)) - new notes are written with explicit reference to already existing notes. ([Location 1972](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1972)) - Notes are only as valuable as the note and reference networks they are embedded in. ([Location 1987](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1987)) - the slip-box is the ([Location 1995](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1995)) - medium we think in, not something we think about. ([Location 1995](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=1995)) - Most notes will be found through other notes. ([Location 2010](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2010)) - all we need from the index are entry points. ([Location 2011](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2011)) - We look at our slip-box for already existing lines of thought and think about the questions and problems already on our minds to which a new note might contribute. ([Location 2032](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2032)) - it could be politically more sensible to promote easy-to-visualise solutions over solutions that really work. ([Location 2044](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2044)) - four basic types of cross-references ([Location 2061](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2061)) - The first type of links are those on notes that are giving you the overview of a topic. ([Location 2064](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2064)) - entry notes. ([Location 2070](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2070)) - notes that give an overview of a local, physical cluster of the slip-box. ([Location 2077](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2077)) - The most common form of reference is plain note-to-note links. ([Location 2087](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2087)) - Comparing notes also helps us to detect contradictions, paradoxes or oppositions ([Location 2127](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2127)) - we use scientific knowledge and theories to make sense of our surroundings every day. ([Location 2159](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2159)) - having a broad theoretical toolbox – not to be a good academic, ([Location 2163](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2163)) - You’ve got to hang experience on a latticework of models in your head.” ([Location 2173](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2173)) - A truly wise person is not someone who knows everything, but someone who is able to make sense of things ([Location 2174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2174)) - “Creativity is just connecting things. ([Location 2211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2211)) - comparing is our natural form of perception, ([Location 2243](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2243)) - The brain is more likely to notice details when it scans than when it focuses.” ([Location 2247](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2247)) - playing and tinkering with ideas is what leads to insight and exceptional texts. ([Location 2255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2255)) - Abstraction should indeed not be the final goal of thinking, but it is a necessary in-between step to make heterogeneous ideas compatible. ([Location 2258](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2258)) - We need to abstract from concrete situations every day. ([Location 2262](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2262)) - Creativity cannot be taught like a rule or approached like a plan. But we can make sure that our working environment allows us to be creative with ideas. ([Location 2277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2277)) - The real enemy of independent thinking is not an external authority, but our own inertia. ([Location 2281](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2281)) - Our brains just love routines. ([Location 2284](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2284)) - To be able to see what we see instead of what we expect to see is indeed a skill in itself, ([Location 2305](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2305)) - what is not in the picture, but could be relevant. ([Location 2310](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2310)) - survivorship bias ([Location 2316](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2316)) - “The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking,” ([Location 2325](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2325)) - we neglect the important lessons from failure ([Location 2326](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2326)) - It is very good to know what has already proven to not work if we try to come up with new ideas that do work. ([Location 2330](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2330)) - how strangers would exchange goods without using money ([Location 2333](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2333)) - distinguishing feature of extraordinary thinkers: Taking simple ideas seriously. ([Location 2339](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2339)) - price and value are not necessarily the same. ([Location 2353](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2353)) - using the slip-box on a daily basis, we train these important intellectual skills deliberately: ([Location 2360](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2360)) - we can practice asking good questions when we sort our notes into the slip-box and connect them with other notes. ([Location 2363](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2363)) - Each note should fit onto the screen and there should be no need of scrolling. ([Location 2374](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2374)) - less choice can not only increase our productivity, but also our freedom and make it easier to be in the moment and enjoy it ([Location 2384](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2384)) - Without structure, we cannot differentiate, compare or experiment with ideas. ([Location 2404](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2404)) - no need to worry about finding a topic to write about. Just look into your slip-box and see where clusters have been built up. ([Location 2418](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2418)) - it is now about narrowing the perspective, ([Location 2426](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2426)) - Testing students for memorised knowledge does not give much indication about their understanding, ([Location 2436](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2436)) - It is now less about finding a topic to write about and more about working on the questions we generated by writing. ([Location 2467](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2467)) - Starting with what we have ([Location 2486](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2486)) - New, groundbreaking work is rarely created on a whim by some accidental artist who believes himself to be amazingly innovative. ([Location 2495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2495)) - The more time an artist devotes to learning about an aesthetic “problem,” the more unexpected and creative his solution will be regarded later by art experts ([Location 2496](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2496)) - applying a flexible organisation scheme that allows us to change course whenever necessary. ([Location 2511](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2511)) - they did not stick to their plan, but followed their intuition and interest and took the most promising path to insight whenever one opened up. ([Location 2521](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2521)) - Organizing the work so we can steer our projects in the most promising direction not only allows us to stay focused for longer, but also to have more fun – and that is a fact ([Location 2537](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2537)) - Structure the text and keep it flexible. ([Location 2543](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2543)) - what does not need to be written in a particular part of the manuscript. ([Location 2546](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2546)) - The structure of an argument is part of it ([Location 2551](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2551)) - Try working on different manuscripts at the same time. ([Location 2555](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2555)) - The process of reading and writing inevitably produces a lot of unintended by-products. ([Location 2561](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2561)) - Everything that enriches our slip-box has the potential to end up in a text we might write. ([Location 2565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2565)) - he never forced himself to do anything and only did what came easily to him. ([Location 2570](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2570)) - If you encounter resistance or an opposing force, you should not push against it, but redirect it towards another productive goal. ([Location 2573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2573)) - The planning skills of students are pathetic. ([Location 2578](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2578)) - Experience doesn’t seem to teach students anything. ([Location 2599](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2599)) - It has nothing to do with being a student. It has something to do with being human. ([Location 2600](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2600)) - overconfidence bias, ([Location 2601](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2601)) - be generally sceptical about planning, ([Location 2603](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2603)) - it makes a big difference if they imagine all the training that is necessary to be ([Location 2606](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2606)) - able to win. Having a more realistic idea in mind not only helps them to perform better, it also boosts their motivation ([Location 2606](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2606)) - Zeigarnik effect (Zeigarnik 1927), in which our brains tend to stay occupied with a task until it is accomplished (or written down). ([Location 2628](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2628)) - the most important step is to get started. ([Location 2630](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2630)) - It is much easier to get started if the next step is as feasible ([Location 2631](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2631)) - the first draft is only the first draft. ([Location 2643](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2643)) - strategically build up new habits that have a chance to replace the old ones. ([Location 2679](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2679)) - get into the habit of fetching pen and paper whenever we read something, ([Location 2680](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2680)) - It is not the learner who should be the focus of attention. ([Location 2705](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2705)) - The slip-box does not put the learner in the centre. ([Location 2706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2706)) - Quite the contrary: It allows the learner to let his or her own thinking become decentralised within a network of other ideas. ([Location 2706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2706)) - If we are just storing information, there ([Location 2712](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2712)) - would be no need to use a slip-box. ([Location 2712](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2712)) - Read with a pen in your hand, take smart notes and make connections between them. ([Location 2722](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06WVYW33Y&location=2722))