Why note-taking apps don't make us smarter

In Matuschak’s view, a finely distilled note is the fundamental unit of knowledge work. But we are generally lousy at taking notes, both because the notes we take give us weak feedback (we may go weeks without returning to a note we have taken, and may not return to it at all) and because we have no role models (do you know anything about anyone el... See more

“The goal is not to take notes — the goal is to think effectively,” Matuschak writes. “Better questions are “what practices can help me reliably develop insights over time?” [and] “how can I shepherd my attention effectively?”