The 4 Levels of Thinking on Paper  🔗 **Source:** [The 4 Levels of Thinking on Paper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA) > [!note]+ Document Notes > --- > tags: [thinking-on-paper, note-taking, pkm, handwriting, tools-for-thought, bullet-journal] > author: Ryder Carroll > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > --- > # 🏷️ Title: The 4 Levels Of Thinking On Paper > ## 🧭 Table of Contents > - [📝 Summary](#-summary) > - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) > - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) > - [📚 References](#-references) > - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) > - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) > - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) > - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) > - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) > - [❓ Questions](#-questions) > - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) > - [💡 Implications](#-implications) > - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) > - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) > - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) > - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) > - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) > - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) > ### 🔗 References > - [The Bullet Journal Method — Ryder Carroll](https://bulletjournal.com/) > - [Julia Cameron — Morning Pages](https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/) > - [James Pennebaker — expressive writing research](https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/pennebak) > - [Mike Rohde — The Sketchnote Handbook](https://rohdesign.com/sketchnotes) > ## 📝 Summary > - Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal Method, argues that most research on handwriting studies *receiving* information (taking notes in a meeting, studying for a class), while the underused superpower of paper is *generating* ideas — using writing as a tool to think, not just to record. > - It matters because a tool-for-thought framing changes what a notebook is for: from a passive archive of other people's information to an active workspace for producing your own ideas, insights, and solutions. > - Key stakeholders: note-takers, journalers, PKM practitioners, writers, designers, and anyone who has told themselves "I'm not creative" as a reason to skip visual thinking. > - Risks and tradeoffs: the claims are experiential and mostly uncited (the writing-by-hand memory research and Pennebaker's clinical work are the exceptions); "paper keeps you offline" is a benefit for focus but a cost for search, backup, and linking — the exact tradeoff a digital PKM vault like Obsidian inverts. > - Bottom line: there are four escalating modes of thinking on paper — short form, long form, drawing, and free form — and you can mix them; the point is to sit with uncertainty long enough for the shape of an idea to emerge. > ## 📖 Main Content > - The core reframe: writing-by-hand studies (better memory, attention, retention) are about *inputs*. Carroll's interest is *outputs* — paper as a generative instrument. His phrase for capture is a "seed bank" of ideas you nurture later. > - The video lays out a four-level framework. Each level is a distinct mode of putting thought on paper, and they escalate from fastest/most compressed to most exploratory/least structured. > - **Level 1 — Short form thinking.** Capture a thought in as few words as possible; his rule is one sentence per thought. In the Bullet Journal Method this is "rapid logging" — notes, actions, moods, and events as single-sentence entries. Speed matters because "the best idea in the world is worthless if we forget it." Short form also deconstructs an idea into an outline: write the seed sentence (his example: "productivity does not equal progress"), then list supporting examples and objections beneath it. > - **Level 2 — Long form thinking.** Prose writing to explore, discover, or become aware of what you think. Three uses: (a) *cultivate* an idea you already have by writing into its nuances, often starting from one seed sentence and driving it forward with questions ("What's interesting about this? Is it true? Is it useful?"); (b) *generate* ideas you don't yet have by "conversing with yourself" (his business-idea prompt chain); and (c) *see what's on your mind* via established practices — Julia Cameron's morning pages (three longhand stream-of-consciousness pages) and James Pennebaker's expressive writing (decades of clinical research). He adds a fourth, less-discussed use: *removing unworkable thinking* — venting reactive thoughts onto paper (e.g., an unsent letter) until the charge dissipates and you can think clearly again. > - **Level 3 — Drawing / visual forms.** Paper is also a canvas. "Language forces us to imagine things internally. Drawing allows us to see images and ideas externally," which is better for seeing how ideas relate — useful for interfaces, websites, logos, diagrams, org charts, even apartment layouts. The "I can't draw" objection is dismissed: even simple shapes carry meaning. In BuJo, the four entry types get simple glyphs (line = note, dot = action, equal sign = mood, circle = event) so you can categorize at a glance without reading. > - **Level 4 — Free form thinking.** Use all the modes at once. It's exploratory, non-linear, "a creative visual laboratory" — start with an image, try some words, a paragraph points to a doodle, and you iterate until a shape emerges. He cites Mike Rohde's sketchnoting as a system that combines shapes, words, and sentences. He deliberately gives no step-by-step because the value is in the mess and imperfection; it's his go-to for fleshing out concepts he later writes about. > - **The paper-vs-digital argument.** You *can* do all this on a tablet, but on a digital device "you have countless ways to escape." Paper puts you immediately offline, forcing you to sit with the discomfort of not knowing. This is the one contestable claim worth flagging for a PKM audience: the "distraction-free" benefit is real, but it trades away search, backup, linking, and reuse — which is precisely why a linked digital vault exists. The honest synthesis is workflow-dependent, not either/or. > ## 🗒️ Notes > #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA?t=0) The reframe — generating vs receiving > - Handwriting research (better memory, attention, retention) is about *receiving* information from someone else. > - Underdiscussed: how powerful thinking on paper is for *generating* ideas. > - Speaker: Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal Method; framing works "whether or not you consider yourself creative or artistic." > #### ⏱️ [00:01:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA?t=60) Level 1 — Short form > - One sentence per thought; speed is critical because a forgotten idea is worthless. > - "Rapid logging" = notes, actions, moods, events as single-sentence entries. > - An idea is "simply a seed"; capturing builds a "seed bank" to nurture later. > - Deconstruct via outline: seed sentence ("productivity does not equal progress") → examples → objections. > #### ⏱️ [00:03:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA?t=180) Level 2 — Long form > - Cultivate an existing idea by writing into its nuances and depths (how he writes channel scripts). > - Drive it with questions: what's interesting, is it true, is it useful/helpful. > - Generate new ideas by "conversing with yourself" (business-idea prompt chain). > - See what's on your mind: Cameron's morning pages; Pennebaker's expressive writing (clinical research). > - Remove unworkable thinking: vent reactive thoughts (an unsent letter) until the charge fades — "I don't believe that. It was just reactionary thinking." > #### ⏱️ [00:06:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA?t=360) Level 3 — Drawing / visual forms > - "Language forces us to imagine things internally. Drawing allows us to see images and ideas externally." > - Better for seeing relationships: interfaces, websites, logos, diagrams, org charts, apartments. > - "I can't draw" objection dismissed; simple shapes suffice. > - BuJo glyphs: line = note, dot = action, equal = mood, circle = event; recognizable at a glance. > #### ⏱️ [00:08:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pItG-XOIA?t=480) Level 4 — Free form + paper vs digital > - Use all modes at once; exploratory, kinetic, messy, "a practice in imperfection." > - Mike Rohde's sketchnoting cited as a combined system. > - Digital gives "countless ways to escape"; paper puts you "immediately o A lot has been said about the benefits of writing things down. Multiple studies show that people who write by hand remember more, pay closer attention, and hold on to information way longer than those people who don't. But that research is about receiving information from something or someone else, taking notes in a meeting, studying for a class. What I don't see talked about nearly enough is how powerful thinking on paper can be for generating ideas and thoughts. Hi, I'm Ryder, creator of the Bullet Journal Method, and I've helped over a million people write a better life. In this video, I'm going to show you four ways to think on paper to help you generate new ideas, insights, perspectives, and even solutions. This video is for you whether or not you consider yourself a creative or even artistic person. Let's dive in. The best idea in the world is worthless if we forget it. So, speed becomes really critical when thinking on paper. For that we can use short form thinking. This is where you capture your thoughts in as few words as possible. For me that usually means that I have one sentence per thought. In the bullet journal method, we use a short form writing technique I call rapid logging to help us capture notes, actions, moods, and events as single sentence journal entries. In this video, we'll focus mostly on notes as they are for capturing thoughts, ideas, and insights. You can write down an idea without even knowing what you're going to do with it. It's simply a seed. When you begin capturing this way, you start to build a seed bankank of ideas that you can nurture to something more substantial later. Short form also lends itself well to quickly deconstructing idea into an outline. For example, I recently had this idea that productivity does not equal progress. So, I write that down as a sentence. Then below that, I can list examples of how that's true. like productivity is about producing things whereas progress is about moving. I can also start to jot down objections that come up when I start to explore that idea and I just list that out. So in a few moments I have a whole bunch of different pieces that I can then use to move to the next form of thinking on paper long form. In my experience, long form writing can be a powerful way to explore an idea, to find one, or become aware of what you're thinking in general. I'll also bring up one additional one that I don't see talked about often that has helped me think much more clearly. When it comes to cultivating an idea that you already have, long form writing often helps you uncover things that you never considered by exploring its nuances and its depths. This is how I write a lot of the scripts for this channel. I'll start with one sentence, a seed of an idea, and then cultivate my perspective through writing about it. The question is, how do you take one sentence and expand it into an article or a video or even a book? For me, this approach often begins with questions. What do I think is interesting about this idea? Is it true? Is it helpful or useful? My questions are designed to help me connect with what's alive about this idea for me. what excites me about it? Why do I want to spend my time exploring it? And I figure this out by writing about it. Conversely, sometimes long form writing can be a great way to generate ideas if you don't have them by conversing with yourself. So, let's say you want to start a business, but you don't know what kind of business to start. You could start by writing down the products or services you wish you had, but don't exist. Or if they do exist, what's wrong with the existing ones that you could fix? Then you could start to write about who do you know that has more information about these goods or services that you could get in touch with. Before you know it, you start to have all sorts of ideas where there were none simply by taking the time to start to ask yourself questions. Then there's using long form to help you see what's on your mind. One of the most well-known long form practices is Julia Cameron's morning pages. Three pages of longhand stream of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning. Then you have James Pennaker's expressive writing which has decades of clinical research behind it as a way of surfacing things you didn't even know were there. And then brings me to the last thing. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned a lot that I find incredibly useful about using long form thinking on paper is to remove unworkable thinking. Let's say something happens that really pisses you off. When that is the case, you have all sorts of reactive thoughts. you think unskillfully and that's all okay to have those thoughts but what you're thinking about this is not necessarily workable. So one thing that I like to do when I feel this way when I'm having really unworkable thinking is to use paper to vent it. What I do is I sit down and I just write a letter to the person or the experience or whatever and just say whatever comes up. And by the time I'm done I don't feel that way anymore. Often times I look at what I wrote and I'm like, I don't believe that. It was just re reactionary thinking. Sometimes the most powerful way of thinking on paper is simply getting unworkable thoughts out of your head that are distracting you from being able to think clearly. If you want to see how you can incorporate long form journaling inside the bullet journal method, check out this video here. As the saying goes, an image is worth a thousand words. This is another reason why I like using paper. In addition to providing pages for words, it also provides a canvas to draw forms. Language forces us to imagine things internally. Drawing allows us to see images and ideas externally. In some cases, that can be a much more effective way to think because it allows us to see how ideas relate to each other. I found this to be true for designing interfaces, websites, logos, diagrams, org charts, even apartments. Now, some may not want to try this form of thinking on paper because they think they can't draw. But even the simplest shapes can go a really long way. This is why we use them in the bullet journal method to categorize those four types of sentences that I mentioned earlier visually. A line symbolizes the notes, a dot symbolizes the actions, the equal sign symbolizes the moods, and a simple circle symbolizes events. Using these forms, you don't even have to read what you wrote in order to know what that entry is about at a glance. So, even if you don't think that you're creative or you can draw, I invite you to try this out because it can be a really fun and liberating way to explore a thought in a very new context. It can help you literally think inside and outside of the box at the same time. The best part of thinking on paper is that you're not limited to any one of these forms. As a matter of fact, you can use them all at the same time, which I will refer to as free form thinking. There are many different free form thinking techniques out there. One of my personal favorites is Mike Roody's sketch noting. If you haven't heard of it, I'll link it down below. But he's taken shapes and words and sentences and combined them in a system that I think is very successful to a lot of people. Now, I'm not going to give you a one, two, three about free form thinking on paper because what I love about this approach is that it's exploratory. It's about finding the shape of an idea. Maybe you start with a image, then you try some words, or you write a short paragraph and that points to a doodle. It's kind of a creative visual laboratory where you keep experimenting with things until something starts to emerge. I find free form a really playful way of thinking. It's kinetic. It's physical. It's messy. It's a great practice in imperfection and personal expression. It's my go-to for fleshing out a lot of the concepts that I eventually end up writing about. So, why not just do this on some kind of digital tablet? Well, you totally can. But for me, what I've noticed is when you're writing on a digital device, you have countless ways to escape. With paper, you're immediately offline. Instead, you have an opportunity to sit with the discomfort of not knowing, with hard questions, with uncertainty. And dot by dot, we start to reveal the shape of the things and experiences that we can't wait to bring to life. So, here's my invitation. The next time you have something meaningful to think about or just something fun to noodle around with, try thinking on paper. You might be surprised at what you find. And if you want to learn more about my full life OS using pen and paper, you can watch this video next. Thanks for taking the time and I'll see you in the next one., The 4 Levels of Thinking on Paper, youtube.com, 01kwj8k9qqwnsh093gf15vk9ew.