9 published lessons with this tag.
A note that captures exactly one idea can be understood without its original context, linked to any argument, and recombined indefinitely — a note that captures two ideas can do none of these things reliably.
Every distinct idea needs a unique, stable address — without one, you cannot reference it, link to it, or build on it reliably.
The smallest useful unit is the level of decomposition where each piece carries independent meaning — small enough to be precise, large enough to be self-contained.
A precise name converts a fuzzy intuition into a findable, retrievable, composable object — and the act of naming changes what you can think.
An atomic note should carry enough context to be understood without its original source.
You choose how finely to decompose based on your purpose — not on some inherent "correct" level of detail. The same material supports different grain sizes for different uses.
A well-formed question is as valuable an atom as a well-formed answer.
When you write the same idea twice you have not yet named the pattern they share.
Ideas evolve. Your system should let you see how any atom changed over time — not just what you believe now, but what you believed before and why it shifted.