The Checklist Mindset

The above quote is an excerpt from Seth Godin’s blog post on 24 April.

“It doesn’t matter how much we summarize, at some point, effort is required. More summaries won’t automatically lead to more understanding.”

My thoughts: So true. Seth Godin (SG) mentioned TLDR and went on to explain what it means. I get the TLDR response quite a lot in the past when I share something I wrote or an article I found on the Internet to some friends. They replied, “Too long, didn’t read.” That’s TLDR for you.

Notes and summaries are great. So are checklists. However, I agree with SG that those often useful resources do not necessarily lead to more learning or understanding. SG also mentions ChatPDF and similar services, which can provide extraordinary results, BUT effort is still required on the part of the reader for true understanding.

I love reading books. Or magazines. Or online articles and blog posts. To me, part of the magic of reading—for example, an actual book—is the “aha moments” found in it. The joy of slowly digesting its content, to highlight things that resonate, to jot down notes for reflection…this is what cements true understanding (and satisfaction).

More summaries won’t automatically lead to more understanding. For true comprehension of a topic to happen, effort is required. I believe summaries and checklists should be something we ourselves create after putting in the work. Comparing what we’ve done with other summaries or checklists will help close the gap in our own understanding, bring in not-thought-before perspectives, and this certainly improves the whole experience of learning.

Yes, it’s slower to do it this way but it’s more fulfilling. Make your effort count.