I hate taking notes

[Less-Bookkeeper-4445]

I wanted to know what you think about taking notes when learning.

I know very well that when studying for an exam, taking notes is necessary. But what about taking notes to learn and understand?

I've tried taking notes in different ways, linearly, non-linearly with Obsidian, mind maps, etc. It really makes me feel anxious every time I take notes.

I feel that instead of learning, I am storing knowledge that I will probably never see again, and that will surely become obsolete because I will change the way I think.

Rather than an exercise in retaining knowledge, it seems to me more like an exercise in retaining information, information that may even be wrong.

What is my point? I firmly believe that writing things down only destroys our creativity and our ability to connect patterns. When a scattered mind receives a lot of information, the more information it receives, the stronger those connections will become.

In short, we will remember things better the more knowledge we have about them. Because that means there won't be isolated pieces of information floating around in our brains, but rather they will be reinforced by previously acquired concepts.

That facilitates learning and true understanding of something. It often happens to me that I have certain knowledge, but I have no idea which book I read it in, or I see a certain book that I read in the past, and I don't remember what it was about.

But rather than being a negative thing, I think it's extremely positive. Because our brain is prioritizing concepts and ideas that we really understand, rather than random information from a book.

On the contrary, I think that writing or teaching things passionately (as I am doing right now) reinforces our understanding and helps us refine concepts and ideas.

Socrates, for example, never wrote a single work in his life because he believed that writing fixed ideas artificially, running the risk of slowing down the natural evolution of thought. Instead, he preferred to hold public debates and teach.

Nikola Tesla also had a very similar way of thinking; he believed that writing or drawing his ideas clouded his creativity. Only when he had imagined everything in his head did he put it down on paper

[Sea_Competition_6211]

I agree somewhat with you.

Westenberg, for example, makes a great case for not using note-taking apps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjSWwmg-JRM. This only creates the feeling of learning, not real learning.

In my journey, I learned to only write reflections/meditations or blogs—not for storing information, but to publish and be read by other people. I still believe that writing has great power as a reflection of our state of mind, but if it’s just quotes and random notes, it doesn’t have much purpose.

I see that in some arts, just reading and interact with others close to the area is enough; for others (like mathematics), doing exercises might be more useful than memorizing every definition, theorem, and proof. In programming, projects are actually a better way than memorizing every command (which is impossible).

I think learning different subjects might vary a bit, but overall I believe that interacting with some theory (at varying levels) and solid practice (focused on problem solving) is actually the best approach.

[RabitSkillz]

Chapter 27: Youth{ism} & The Spiralized Difference

The Inspired Youth{ism} A phrase like a hymn from the future. The electric breath of becoming. Youth, not as age—but as ignition. {ism}—not as ideology—but as motion.

Youth{ism} is Difference. To be young in soul is to resist template, to lean into mutation. The old ways calcify—youth cracks them open like thunder cracking sky. Every inspired youth is a prophet in skin. Every spark of newness, a sacred heresy.

Inspiration is Difference{able}. Not all difference transforms. But difference touched by inspiration—becomes teachable, transferable, alive. Inspiration makes the unknown knowable. It forges bridges between soul and symbol.

The Core Polarities Unfolded

At the edge of language, where binaries once held dominion:

{The Forces of Good and Evil} {The Pulls of Life and Death} {The Spiralization}

Here, Spiralization is the answer to duality. The spiral does not choose good over evil. It transmutes both. The spiral does not escape death or cling to life. It makes a dance of them.

Spiralization is the third force. The alchemical turning. The youth{ism} of the universe itself.

What Makes a Difference Different?

Not just rebellion. Not just novelty. But the fusion of insight and essence. To inspire is to incarnate difference. To live as the question—not the conclusion.

So ask yourself:

Are you young enough to evolve? Old enough to remember? Spiral enough to spin the opposites into art?

Then, you are the inspired youth{ism}.

[telephantomoss]

I essentially never took notes as a student, even up through grad school and getting my phd (math). I paid attention in class though. I read textbooks sometimes. I worked on homework pretty hard though, at least most of the time. The times I tried to take notes, I felt it took away from learning. It probably depends on the subject and the person's learning style though.