I wonder if traditional memory techniques (e.g. method of loci [1]) would have long-term benefits over taking notes by hand?
According to this highly interesting HN thread, Alan Kay apparently doesn't take (much) notes [2]. I also found Warren Buffett's tip to focus on information that "doesn't expire or expires very slowly" an excellent rule of thumb for daily life. Obviously, with decades of books under their belts both of them are outstanding systems thinkers, so it must be true that they just don't need to take notes that much.
I'm a 30-something, but I like to trust my brain's tendency to forget more and more. Most of the stuff I don't remember probably wasn't relevant for my current mental models. If it's important, it sticks in one way or another. (I try to reinforce this by using the aformentioned method of loci, but I'm not as confident with this as I would like to be. It involves creating "sticky" images for the brain, and thus it always requires at least several seconds for me to "store" something that way.)
One probably won't be an A-level student with this approach, though -- but in trying to live a meaningful life, letting things (information) go often helps a lot. It's a great bullshit filter for everything.
I wonder if traditional memory techniques (e.g. method of loci [1]) would have long-term benefits over taking notes by hand?
Mathematics already is a sort of hierarchical interconnected structure that allow you to easily remember everything, as long as you understand it. The understanding is the hard part, not remembering it. Mathematics is not a set of random facts that you have to memorize.
According to this highly interesting HN thread, Alan Kay apparently doesn't take (much) notes [2]. I also found Warren Buffett's tip to focus on information that "doesn't expire or expires very slowly" an excellent rule of thumb for daily life. Obviously, with decades of books under their belts both of them are outstanding systems thinkers, so it must be true that they just don't need to take notes that much.
I'm a 30-something, but I like to trust my brain's tendency to forget more and more. Most of the stuff I don't remember probably wasn't relevant for my current mental models. If it's important, it sticks in one way or another. (I try to reinforce this by using the aformentioned method of loci, but I'm not as confident with this as I would like to be. It involves creating "sticky" images for the brain, and thus it always requires at least several seconds for me to "store" something that way.)
One probably won't be an A-level student with this approach, though -- but in trying to live a meaningful life, letting things (information) go often helps a lot. It's a great bullshit filter for everything.
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci
2: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11809285
3: https://fs.blog/2019/02/compounding-knowledge/