A simple framework to put ideas into action.
I consume about 1,456 hours of content a year, 28 hours a week.
A lot of those are educational content. But how much do I actually remember? Probably half.
And how much of those have actually made a difference in my life or how I think? Even less.
How much content do you consume on a daily basis? Imagine what your life would look like if you have actually retained and applied that collection of knowledge.
The problem is that 90% of people are passive consumers.
I easily fall into that category. I have a (growing) library of books. My book collection is becoming a problem. It's hard for me to turn down a visit to the library or a bookstore. Why? Because the promise of knowledge calls to me.
But my library of books will do nothing for me if all I am is a passive consumer. What's the point of have a stack of psychology, philosophy, and productivity books if they don't make a difference in my life?
We need to move from being passive consumers to active consumers.
Which is why I'm about to share with you a simple system I use to learn more efficiently and effectively:
After reading a chapter in a book, or watching a video, or listening to a podcast, or a conference talk, pull out the most accessible notetaking device you have and write down a short summary of the content and the key ideas that stuck with you.
It can be on a pocket notebook or Apple Notes.
For instance, I recently watched a video by Chris Williamson on the Modern Wisdom podcast. One of the ideas that stuck with me was: The Abilene Paradox.
The Abilene Paradox is a situation where a group makes a decision that is contrary to the desires of that group's members because each member assumes the others approve of it.
If something from the content sparked a string of thoughts or ideas, record those too. The most common thing missing from people's notetaking is the transition from external ideas to internal ones—or, someone else's ideas to your own.
It's the latter that is most important.
Continuing the example, the Abilene Paradox reminds me of The Emperor's New Clothes. It makes me think of how people make assumptions for the sake of conformity and end up harming everyone in the process—just because they are too afraid to speak the truth.
This is your "second brain," the system that houses information for you so you won't have to tried so hard to remember stuff and only focus on the activities that really matter—connecting the dots.
Platforms include Apple Notes, Google Docs, Notion, Obsidian, and Evernote.
Speaking of connecting the dots, this is possibly the most important part of the system. This is where the learning gives rise to creating. By forming connections between things you've learned and synthesizing them into something new, you start to form "original" thoughts and master the content.
The Abilene Paradox is how corporate boards lead organizations down a destructive path. {Connect to note on business corruption and whistleblowers}. It's how the Germans allowed themselves to be suppressed under the Nazi regime (on top of the reality of government spies among their friends and family). {Connect to note from Jordan Peterson's lectures}.
The above framework is a super basic, distilled version of the CODE method, devised by Tiago Forte, author of Building a Second Brain.
I structured my Second Brain in Obsidian using this method, which stands for:
The Capture stage, as we've discussed, is for recording pieces of content and ideas we want to remember.
Then... Organize them in whichever platform you use for your notetaking or Second Brain.
Then... Distill your notes into their most fundamental ideas or points through the process of Progressive Summarization.
Then... Express your insights by connecting the dots in unique ways.
If you want to see what my Second Brain looks like, let me know!
So here's a simple way for you to get started on maximizing your learning and start being an active consumer rather than a passive one.
Millions of hours of content are created every day. But what's the use of all that knowledge if we lose them as quickly as we receive them?
Stay purposeful.
– Nathanael
Multi-passionate creative and cultural philosopher. I love talking psychology, culture, education, and anything else that deals with living as better people.