Perfect Chemistry teacher for this newsletter
Read to the end for an archeology inception
Hello everyone, how is it going? This week has been quite busy for me since it's a major public holiday here in Korea. We were celebrating Chuseok, the Korean's Thanksgiving but good Personal Knowledge Management doesn't wait for anyone. That's why you are receiving this Mind the Gap newsletter in your inbox
I can't believe we are already at week 4 of our series about how to build your first second brain. One more issue next week to wrap it up and you'll have a solid foundation to start your PKM journey. Just a reminder, we are using the C.O.D.E framework by Tiago Forte. Here are the previous issues of the series if you need a refresher:
week 1 : overview of the C.O.D.E framework
week 2: C for capture ideas
week 3: O for organize information
So what's the next step? D stands for Distillation. I don't know about you but my last Chemistry class was a long time ago so here is a simple definition: "Distillation is a process used to separate and extract components of a liquid mixture. It's commonly used to purify liquids". Replace the term liquid by note and you'll have an idea about what we are trying to do at this step.
We are taking the information we thoroughly captured and meticulously organized and we make it more personal. After all, it's called PERSONAL knowledge management for a reason. A common mistake is to make it looks too much like a Wikipedia page. Instead, you need to think about it as sending that note to your future self.
Imagine your future self as a very busy, very important but very impatient person. They don't have the time or energy to comb over big piles of raw data. How would you pass them some crucial information? You would give them the key points and leave out unnecessary details.
That's the whole idea behind the distillation step : breaking down your notes into their essential parts and summarizing the key points in your own voice. Distillation is at the heart of any effective communication, more so with yourself.
An easy way is to go at it in multiple passes, it's what we call progressive summarization. You start by highlighting the core elements of a raw note you captured then you rewrite these highlights with your own words. That's how you get rid of the Wikipedia tone and make it tailored to your own needs.
Let's take an example from my own notes. Over a year ago (on 2024-03-09 to be more accurate, according to my second brain), I captured something I read here and filed it into my digital garden in the language folder (a big area of interest for me) with the title "There is no why in languages". Captured and organized : the first two steps of the CODE framework were done.
Here is the note:
When new learners learn a new piece of grammar, they often ask, “Why does the language work this way?”. They are looking for a concrete rule that explains the language.
Unfortunately, there is often no answer to their question. The truth is that language is too messy and chaotic to be explained by a simple set of rules. There is no "why" and it is pointless to ask "why" a language is the way that it is.
It's important to realize that grammar "rules" aren't actually rules. They're just guidelines for how the language is generally used.
Let's break it into its essential parts. If you compare it to the source, it's the exact same version for now. Very impersonal. My first pass is, like I said earlier, to highlight the core elements.
When new learners learn a new piece of grammar, they often ask, “Why does the language work this way?”. They are looking for a concrete rule that explains the language.
Unfortunately, there is often no answer to their question. The truth is that language is too messy and chaotic to be explained by a simple set of rules. There is no "why" and it is pointless to ask "why" a language is the way that it is.
It's important to realize that grammar "rules" aren't actually rules. They're just guidelines for how the language is generally used.
You can now see the core elements stand out. Then it's easy for me to summarize the idea in my own words.
Languages are way too messy to be explained by grammar rules. Beginners should see them more as guidelines
This is perfect for my future self. They will get the gist of it just by reading my summary. The progressive summarization exercise also helps me wrap my head around complicated concepts. Obviously, if I need to get more details, I can always read the whole note or even go back to the source. It's all there neatly stored for me in my second brain.
See you next week for the last step!
P.S here is an archeology inception (Instagram post)