Personal knowledge synthesis
Turn a pile of highlights and notes into connected ideas, tensions worth thinking about and atomic notes for your second brain.
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1Cluster the notes
Paste up to about 50 notes. Number them if they are not already numbered so the model can refer back.
Here are my notes and highlights on {{theme}}. Each is numbered. {{notes}} Group them into 4-8 clusters of related ideas. For each cluster: a name written as a claim, the note numbers in it, and a two-sentence summary in plain language. List any notes that don't fit anywhere separately; don't force them into clusters.2Find tensions and connections
This is where synthesis happens. Disagreements between your sources are usually the most useful thing to think about.
Across the clusters, identify: 1. Tensions: pairs of notes or clusters that disagree or pull in different directions. Quote both sides. 2. Surprising connections: ideas from different clusters that combine into something neither says alone. 3. Challenges to my current view, which is: {{current_view}}. Which notes most strongly challenge it? 4. Three questions I should investigate next.3Write atomic notes
Paste the output into your notes app. Add your own sentence to each note before saving; that's what makes it yours.
Write one atomic note for each cluster and each tension, in Markdown, using this format: # [Title as a claim] [3-5 sentences in my words, no jargon] Sources: [note numbers] Related: [[other note titles]] Open question: [one question]
Example input
Theme: habit formation. 38 Kindle highlights from three books and two articles. Current view: environment design beats willpower.
Example output
Tension: "Identity first" vs "Action first" Note 7: "Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." Note 22: "Change behaviour first; beliefs follow." # Small actions build identity, not the other way round Several sources agree that a new self-image follows repeated behaviour more reliably than it precedes it... Sources: 7, 15, 22 Related: [[Environment beats willpower for starting]] Open question: Does this hold for habits people stop doing, not just ones they start?
Troubleshooting
- Clusters are too broad: ask for more, smaller clusters or set a minimum of five.
- It summarises instead of connecting: insist on direct quotes for each tension.
Known limitations
- The model can only connect what you paste; it does not know your earlier notes unless you include them.
- Synthesised claims can overstate what sources say; keep the source numbers and check before quoting.