| | | | --------------------: | :----------------------------------------- | | **Title** | Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential | | **Author** | Tiago Forte | | **Started** | 2022-07-06 | | **Finished** | | | [Goodreads Link](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59616977-building-a-second-brain) | 2022-07-07: I ran across a [Reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/vsejrx/-/if1kzxy) today where someone asked about a note note taking system and was recommended to read the book "Building a Second Brain". The book purports to explain a way to think about notes and how to organize things rather than recommend apps (or so I hope). This morning, while looking for something to listen to while I walk I found the Art of Manliness podcast had just dropped an episode where he [interviewed Tiago Forte about the book](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/podcast-816-building-a-second-brain/)! So I spent my walk listening to the author talk about the book. I was relieved to hear that he doesn't necessarily recommend any specific software and talks more about the higher-level concepts of personal knowledge management. I was also pleased to discover that I am doing most of the things he talks about already. ### Highlights / Notes In the professional world: * It’s not at all clear what you should be taking notes on. * No one tells you when or how your notes will be used. * The “test” can come at any time and in any form. * You’re allowed to reference your notes at any time, provided you took them in the first place. * You are expected to take action on your notes, not just regurgitate them. --- So much of our intellectual output—from brainstorms to photos to planning to research—all too often is left stranded on hard drives or lost somewhere in the cloud. --- Most important of all, don’t get caught in the trap of perfectionism: insisting that you have to have the “perfect” app with a precise set of features before you take a single note. It’s not about having the perfect tools—it’s about having a reliable set of tools you can depend on, knowing you can always change them later. --- `CODE` Capture; Organize; Distill; Express. _This sounds very "Getting Things Done"_ --- We have a natural bias as humans to seek evidence that confirms what we already believe, a well-studied phenomenon known as "confirmation bias." --- If you’re not surprised, then you already knew it at some level, so why take note of it? --- The moment you first encounter an idea is the worst time to decide what it means. You need to set it aside and gain some objectivity. --- First, you are much more likely to remember information you’ve written down in your own words. Known as the “Generation Effect,”10 researchers have found that when people actively generate a series of words, such as by speaking or writing, more parts of their brain are activated when compared to simply reading the same words. --- There is even significant evidence that expressing our thoughts in writing can lead to benefits for our health and well-being.11 One of the most cited psychology papers of the 1990s found that “translating emotional events into words leads to profound social, psychological, and neural changes.” _Jornaling through problems._ --- the Cathedral Effect. Studies have shown that the environment we find ourselves in powerfully shapes our thinking. _This is why people expect psychic readings and seances in a dark room with candles and incense._ Tags: booknotes