Note-Taking Still Matters in the Age of AI: The Ultimate Guide to the Smart Note-Taking Method
In a world where AI can draft articles, summarize books, and even brainstorm ideas, it’s tempting to think that the age of note-taking is over. But the truth is, note-taking remains essential as a fundamental thinking tool.
While AI systems possess the capability to learn independently and can certainly assist humans in the learning process, they cannot "learn for us." True cognitive development occurs only through personal externalization—the act of moving thoughts from the mind into a physical or digital medium.
Relying solely on external tools for understanding leads to what Immanuel Kant described as "nonage" or immaturity: the inability to use one’s own understanding without another’s guidance. In today’s context, the more we find ourselves unable to explain a concept without immediate recourse to a search engine or an AI prompt, the more we are operating in a state of intellectual indecision. It reveals a lack of courage to use our own mind independently.
How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking
by Sönke Ahrens
Overcoming “Digital Nonage”
This book introduces a proven note-taking and writing method inspired by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who published over 400 academic papers using a system known as the Zettelkasten, or "slip-box" method. After reading the book, I gained a fresh perspective on how to improve my note taking system, and how it deeply connected to how I learn and think.
After reading this book, I gained a fresh perspective on how to improve my own system. Although I am no longer a student, I found the system incredibly useful for professional content creation and lifelong learning. The beauty of this approach is its adaptability; while it began with physical cards, it is perfectly suited for modern tools like Notion or Obsidian.
Key Takeaways
1. Writing is the Medium of Thinking
The most fundamental takeaway is that writing should be viewed as the medium through which all intellectual work occurs. The human brain is not designed to store information logically or objectively. It is designed to create connections. Real thinking requires externalization because it is almost impossible to think systematically without organized words. While there are many ways to share ideas, the creative process almost universally begins with the written word.
“They aren’t a record of my thinking process. They are my thinking process. I actually did the work on the paper.”
2. Insight is Generated Bottom-Up, Not Top-Down
When we write by request—such as completing a homework assignment or a professional report—we usually picked or had a topic first and then "work on it." We then stare at a blank page, feeling that writing is hard. This usually happens not because we lack writing skills, but because we have too little to write about the topic. We lack the necessary insight or depth of knowledge to share anything meaningful.
Ahrens suggests a bottom-up approach. By constantly linking new notes to existing ones, clusters of interest emerge organically. Instead of sorting notes by rigid subjects, we take notes on new content we consume. These notes then transform from a static archive into an active "idea generator."
“How can you not have trouble finding a topic if you believe you have to decide on one before you have done your research, have read and learned about something? How can you not feel threatened by an empty page if you have literally nothing at hand to fill it with? Who can blame you for procrastinating if you find yourself stuck with a topic you decided on blindly and now have to stick with it as the deadline is approaching?”
3. Three Criteria for a Good Note-Taking System
The not taking system should meet these three criteria:
Create Linkage and Generate New Ideas:
Forget rigid categories. Focus on how concepts relate to one another. Let your notes form a web of knowledge where ideas connect freely across topics. It is not just about collecting thoughts, but about making connections and sparking new ideas.
Easy to Extract and Combine:
The system must ensure we can take, review and use notes whenever they are needed. And a great system acts as a matchmaker for your thoughts; when two separate ideas "collide," the system should remind the connection to you, allowing you to synthesize them into a new insight.
Reliable for us to forget
You can only focus on deep thinking if you trust your system completely. Only when you know—with absolute certainty—that a piece of information is safely stored and retrievable will your brain let go of the "storage" burden.
The Zettelkasten Method: A 7-Step Writing Workflow
Luhmann’s method works because it turns note-taking into part of the writing process—not a separate activity. Here's how it works:
1. Fleeting Notes: Always have a way to capture ideas—pen and paper, phone, or app. Jot down any thought immediately.
2. Literature Notes: When reading, write short, idea-based notes—always include source and citation.
3. Permanent Notes: Regularly review your fleeting and literature notes. Rewrite valuable insights as clear, concise, self-contained permanent notes. These should be understandable even months later and connect with your existing note network.
4. Reduce Clutter: Once processed, discard fleeting notes. Move literature notes to a reference section.
5. Start Projects Naturally: When you notice a group of notes forming around a topic, start a writing project. Extract relevant notes, develop a structure, and draft your piece. Because the idea has grown bottom-up, this process is more focused and engaging.
6. Write and Edit: Turn your collected notes into a coherent piece.
7. Proofread and Publish: Finalize the piece by refining and polishing.
How to Take Smart Notes in Notion
While physical index cards are classic, they aren't always feasible today, with so many information sources and format. The good news is that the Zettelkasten method is easily digitized using Notion. Here is how I set up my system:
Single Database for All Notes: Use one master database for every note I take.
Status Property for Workflow: Use statuses to track the note's stage:
Brain Dump = Fleeting Notes
In Progress = Literature Notes
Done = Permanent Notes
A "Collections" Database for Topics: Create a separate database for topics.
Relation Properties: I use Notion’s "Relation" property to link notes to the Collections database. Using multi-select mimics the physical "slip-box" links.
Connect Notes with @-mentions: Use the @-page feature to link specific notes directly to one another.
Backlinking: Leverage Notion’s backlink feature to see which ideas are frequently referenced. This signals a potential area for a long-form article or project.
Filtered Pages: Create different views of your database filtered by topic so I can easily see all related notes at a glance.
Final Thought
"How to Take Smart Notes" is a timeless guide for anyone looking to build a "second brain." With the rise of generative AI tools, writing is increasingly seen as a replaceable task. Note-taking, however, remains a human-centered act of learning and reflection. It’s about building understanding, not just generating content. If we outsource that to AI, we risk losing the very essence of learning. Meanwhile, AI shows no problem learning from scratch by itself.
