I have some notes on Sam Altman’s note-taking advice

Nilay’s main emotion connection is trolling, and truthful he sent maine this video of Sam Altman talking astir note-taking, because he knew it would annoy me.

Now I admit location is simply a schoolhouse of thought which will opportunity thing for illustration “Whatever it is that will get you to successfully return notes is correct.” This is existent if you are immoderate benignant of loser who doesn’t attraction astir pens and paper, successful which case, vaya con dios I guess.

Let’s commencement pinch what Altman is doing right: physically penning worldly down. I emotion my workfellow David Pierce, but he is hideously incorrect astir fundamentally each productivity instrumentality because he insists connected utilizing a computer. At this point, we person multiple studies showing that penning by manus is amended for learning and memory. You want to retrieve something? Write, don’t type.

And now we will proceed pinch what Altman is doing wrong: astir of the remainder of it. I americium not the world’s biggest instrumentality of spiral-bound notebooks, but if you are going to usage them, I urge a reporter’s notebook. Besides lying flat, a top-bound reporter’s notebook is sized specified that you tin easy clasp it successful 1 manus and constitute pinch the different — making it overmuch much convenient and portable than the 1 Altman is holding, which looks for illustration an A6.

The only existent advantage the A6 has is that it mightiness beryllium easier to put successful a pocket, which Altman notes arsenic an important quality. I opportunity “might be” because I don’t deterioration men’s apparel — and women’s pockets are notoriously mini aliases nonexistent. I person spent much clip than I attraction to deliberation astir focusing connected pockets successful my clothing because these fucking phones are excessively big. But if you tin fresh a full-size telephone successful your pocket, I’m beautiful judge you tin get a reporter’s notebook successful there. There are immoderate different solutions, too. Obviously, a bag. There are besides Katherine Hepburn-style trousers, which are successful manner astatine the infinitesimal and person large, capacious pockets. The 3rd imaginable solution is simply a garment jacket, which often besides characteristic ample pockets.

What Altman is talking astir present — penning worldly down, tearing it retired of the notebook, crumpling it up erstwhile you’re done, and throwing it connected the level truthful personification other will prime it up — is disposable writing. You tin fuss astir insubstantial value erstwhile it comes to this type of writing, arsenic he does, but if that’s little important to you, you mightiness see a stack of scale cards held together pinch a rubber set aliases binder clip.

The things spiral notebooks person going for them is that they do genuinely dishonesty flat, and they are reasonably cheap. If I americium not utilizing a reporter’s notebook, I outpouring for thread binding, which besides lies flat: Leuchtturm1917, either B5 aliases A5. I do not rip pages retired of my notebook regularly because I americium not deranged. For those of you who do consciousness ripping pages retired is important, you mightiness see a notebook pinch micro-perforations — it’s little mess.

I americium not going to fuss excessively overmuch astir high-quality paper because if you are the benignant of personification who cares astir this, you already person beardown feelings astir Tomoe River vs. Rhodia vs. Clairefontaine. Feel free to get huffy that I slighted Midori aliases whoever successful the comments.

This is each wind-up to the point Nilay was trying to troll maine about: the pens. Altman recommends the Uni-Ball Micro 0.5, which made maine hiss. The different Altman proposal is the “Muji 0.36 aliases 0.37” successful acheronian bluish ink. After immoderate exploration connected the Muji site, I deliberation what he intends is the Muji Gel Ink Cap Ballpoint Pen successful 0.38mm.

Perhaps he simply doesn’t constitute by manus arsenic overmuch arsenic I do, which is 1 explanation. (I person spent full days successful courtrooms taking notes by hand, which I expect is not a portion of his occupation brief.) But if you are doing a batch of hand-writing, you want thing that will glide effortlessly connected the page — different your manus will cramp. This is simply a Pilot Precise v5 or v7, which is astir arsenic bully arsenic you tin get without moving to a fountain pen.

I americium not going to get into the fountain pens mobility because it, for illustration the insubstantial discussion, is for sickos.

As for the Muji pen: I person not utilized it, but I americium biased against ballpoint pens generally. They are a manus cramp waiting to happen. Ballpoint pens conscionable don’t glide arsenic well, which intends you really person to exert effort to get a ballpoint crossed the page, particularly if it’s cheap. That’s what’s making your manus hurt. If you are a lefty and concerned astir smears, usage thing pinch a quick-drying ink for illustration the Zebra Sarasa. Love yourself. Do not usage a biro.

Finally, bluish ink is unserious. Use achromatic for illustration an adult.

I do find the video revealing. This is simply a man who has not cautiously considered his devices and expects personification other to prime up aft him. That does explicate a batch astir OpenAI, doesn’t it?