Break complex ideas into their smallest meaningful units.
A note that captures exactly one idea can be understood without its original context, linked to any argument, and recombined indefinitely — a note that captures two ideas can do none of these things reliably.
Every distinct idea needs a unique, stable address — without one, you cannot reference it, link to it, or build on it reliably.
You do not understand something until you can decompose it — and the act of decomposition will show you exactly where your understanding breaks down.
The smallest useful unit is the level of decomposition where each piece carries independent meaning — small enough to be precise, large enough to be self-contained.
An idea that looks like one thing is often several things fused together, each carrying unstated assumptions that silently constrain what you can do with it.
Small self-contained pieces can be assembled into new structures that monoliths cannot. Atomicity is what makes recombination possible — and recombination is how almost all innovation actually works.
A precise name converts a fuzzy intuition into a findable, retrievable, composable object — and the act of naming changes what you can think.
A claim and its supporting evidence are different objects that should be stored separately.
What you saw and what you concluded from it are distinct and must not be fused.
An atomic note should carry enough context to be understood without its original source.
You choose how finely to decompose based on your purpose — not on some inherent "correct" level of detail. The same material supports different grain sizes for different uses.
A well-formed question is as valuable an atom as a well-formed answer.
The definitions you use quietly shape every conclusion built on top of them.
When you write the same idea twice you have not yet named the pattern they share.
Each atom exists in relationship to others — atomicity is about self-containment not loneliness.
Ideas evolve. Your system should let you see how any atom changed over time — not just what you believe now, but what you believed before and why it shifted.
A tag is the simplest way to declare that two atoms share something in common.
Ordered series are built by linking atoms together not by writing one long document.
Restructuring your notes restructures your understanding.
The goal is not perfect decomposition but steadily improving your ability to decompose.