What should we atomize? (Quest for source material)
Dear Zettlers,
the Complete Guide to Atomicity is almost completed. This is the outline:
It will be a living document. That means that I will update it upon feedback and interactions. So, I will be happy for any interaction.
There will be multiple demonstrations on atomic note-taking. With the goal of no questions asked.
However, I struggle a bit on picking sources for demonstrations. Sources that get me excited might be too extravagant, sources that are more "appealing to the masses" seem to be trivial. My judgment seems off.
So, I thought to ask you: Overwhelm me with the sheer number of source material that I can demonstrate atomic note-taking. A source should be of appropriate length and should be a candidate of containing a single idea or at least revolve around one idea. So, not entire books, but a few paragraphs.
Many thanks
Sascha
I am a Zettler
Howdy, Stranger!
Comments
Hello Sascha,
This looks fantastic. I'm looking forward to as an information hoarder to read about "building blocks" idea from your perspective.
As a resource, it's a full length pop science article, hope it's OK. Also excited to see you process information from my main area.
Here it is: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-ai-therapy-can-be-so-dangerous/?__readwiseLocation=
Selen. Psychology freak.
“You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin
When and where will this be available? It looks great!
https://calnewport.com/on-the-reverse-flynn-effect/
From a couple of days ago. Was thinking about this when reading your other post about not having to remember anything.
As soon as I can make 2-3 video demonstrations happen. So, within a few weeks.
I am a Zettler
I just finished a review of a previous piece you wrote outlining knowledge building blocks, “a small ontology of item types. One of my favorite articles.
Here’s a source chosen at random from my personal feed and authored by the founder of FiveThirtyEight. If I’ve comprehended your earlier explanation well enough then its contents should run across the entire scope of your model.
What is Blueskyism? - by Nate Silver - Silver Bulletin
@s41f This is one thing that I will avoid: Anything that has to do with politics, especially American politics.
Full disclosure: I think the "politicness" of an opinion is in itself a failure of sound judgment. I claim to have no political opinions (for sure not true, but whenever my opinion is political I deem it as a failure of my rationality).
On the list.
I am subscribed, too.
I was already aware of the Reverse Flynn effect during writing the article.
To me, this is especially annoying: All the typical smoke grenade throwers, who nitpick on the "scientific method" by cherry-picking and so on. I think that smartphones makes us dumb is such a widespread phenomenon and an everyday life experience, that weak objections are too lazy.
I will consider this for sure.
I am a Zettler
I was hoping you’d go in this direction. The source was indeed chosen at random, but I had a feeling that it would introduce some friction counter to the other submissions.
What do you mean by the “politicness” 1 of an opinion or theory? My impression is that politics is something like tossing deadweight through the knowledge building blocks model, making atomization a burden.
At best, the article may serve as an example of what not to atomize. But what am I to make of those hard-earned Journalism 101 credits?
I think politicity rolls off the tongue with humor. ↩︎
Whenever an opinion is political, it is subject to the game of power that is embedded in politics. Truth is no longer an end in itself, but just a tool in the box to further an interest. It may be that it is just a selfish interest or the interest of an ideology that one allows to be possessed by.
I avoid this game to the best of my ability.
In practice, this means that I don't talk about politics, just about specific issues.
Perhaps, demonstrated by an anecdote:
I had an argument with a center-left friend of mine who is a manager. My position was to completely disregulate solar power on roofs. Anyone can put it there and do whatever with taxation or any other regulation (sell it to the renters, to anyone or whatever). I think especially the big real estate companies would plaster Germany with solar power within months. He resisted because he thought that you should always tax companies as they are avoiding tax anyway too much.
Imagine now, one would like to smear me. Based on this anecdote, you could perhaps label me as neo-liberal capitalist pig, who licks the book of big companies. In the political game, it is a typical mean to characterize the whole person by specific opinions. The above position of mine is not a political position. Instead, it is just an opinion on how we can get solar power on Germany's roofs.
There is a connection to this graphic, though I can't explain it to you, yet:
Politics contain a dynamic of reducing rationality, truth, morals and beauty.
So, whenever I read something political, I strip it of anything of its politicity and just search for system dynamics, empirical observations, etc. But I can't talk properly about issues in this way because I find myself in a situation in which people try to drag me into the political game. I can handle this in private, but I don't bother in public.
But I can make the recommendation though: It is very freeing if you clean yourself from politicity.
I am a Zettler
After the first read and some comments, I was left with me just using some statements as spark to write down my own opinions.
It is an edited interview, so very low on the source quality list. The video would be me not processing, but rather doing primary research.
So, won't happen.
I am a Zettler
I roughly processed the short article by Cal Newport, provided by @Nick
I got something out of the article, though the article was also just little more than just the spark to think instead of material to process. But at least, I got to produce something to show.
But I can say, that the whole experience was super alienating, since I had to do everything in English, was on the brink of getting into Zettelkasten-mode, yet was yanked out of it because I frequently asked myself how to perform on the screen, so others can get value out of it.
I am a Zettler