What does it mean that hierarchies encode priorities?

What sits at the top of your hierarchy reflects what you consider most important.

Example: You reorganize your notes app from topic-first (Psychology > Motivation > Self-determination theory) to project-first (Book Draft > Chapter 3 > Self-determination theory). Nothing was added or removed — only the hierarchy changed. But now self-determination theory appears when you're writing, not when you're browsing. The restructure made 'finishing the book' your top priority, even though you never explicitly said so. Your hierarchy said it for you.

Try this: Open any system you use to organize information — your file system, notes app, bookmarks, or task manager. Look at the top level. Write down the 3-5 categories you see. Now ask: do these categories reflect what I actually consider most important right now, or do they reflect what I thought was important when I set this up? If there's a gap, draft a new top level that matches your current priorities. You don't have to implement it yet — just notice how the proposed restructure reveals what has shifted.