# The Variation of Note-Taking and Societal Collapse By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-09-08 There are many "systems" to take notes. Some advocate for atomic notes, where each element is self-contained and only about one idea. Others advocate for less structured systems as they believe any form of taking notes absorbs, reflects, and recalls information and knowledge more effectively. The capability of the person taking the notes is often left out of the discussion. While each system will talk about the intentionality of the notes or person, which is critical to finding the best system, they assume people and their wet computers (i.e., brains) are equivalent. This paradigm of universal equivalency is false, and while it comes with good intentions, it does significant harm to our progress as a species. Even if everyone's biology and capability were the same, one's experience would be significantly different, and this "nature effect" would impact how one sees and acts in the world. For example, biological twins living in different cultures will have different demeanors and heights. So, whenever one makes a recommendation about how to do something, one must consider the intention of the person receiving the advice and their capabilities. Regarding note-taking, some can clearly remember a lot more than others. So, for them, taking notes may be about creating a memory or idea, and the note will never be looked at again. For others with less memory capacity or capability, taking notes is about augmented storage and retrieval. Neither approach is better, but they do not work in isolation from society, norms, and value memes. Those who need not take notes are shamed when they don't follow the rules. Those who take meticulous notes are considered inefficient. There is little space for abnormality in our industrial and mass-production societies. One has two options for phones, three options for computer operating systems, and two versions of the internet. That's it. Given how much variation exists between human capability, desires, and goals, it's easy to see the corner we've painted ourselves into. The enemy of science and capitalistic societies is variation, but this variation is an inevitable force posed to destroy everything one has built unless accounted for. #### Related Items [[Information]] [[Thinking]] [[Equality]] [[Science]] [[Capitalism]] [[Notes]] [[Progress]] [[Variation]] [[Society]]