How To Take Smart Notes (3 methods no one's talking about)

The speaker discusses the "illusion of competence," where passive learning methods like highlighting and note-taking create a false sense of understanding. To combat this, the speaker introduces "smart notes," inspired by figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Nicholas Luhmann. Smart notes are characterized by being active, atomic, and connected. The active component involves restructuring information using the QEC (Question, Evidence, Conclusion) method, as taught by Professor Cal Newport. The atomic aspect emphasizes breaking down notes into individual, standalone ideas rather than large documents, promoting multi-dimensional thinking. Finally, smart notes are connected by linking new ideas to existing knowledge, using a "compass of Zettelkasten thinking" (origin, similarities, competing ideas, and future implications) to deepen understanding and combat the illusion of competence.