---
name: evergreen
description: Principles for creating evergreen notes - atomic, lasting insights that compound over time. Use when discussing note quality, what makes a good evergreen note, or the "only what was explored" principle. Tool-agnostic concepts that apply regardless of note-taking app.
---

# Evergreen Notes

Atomic insights that remain true and useful over time.

## Atomicity

One claim per note. The title states the claim. If you can't write a complete statement title, decompose.

- Good: "Spaced repetition works because forgetting is desirable difficulty"
- Bad: "Spaced repetition"

## Quality Bar

**Include:** Genuinely grasped, non-obvious, atomic, lasting value

**Reject:** Surface observations, vague generalizations, obvious statements, current-event descriptions

## Core Principles

**Only what was explored** - The note reads "here's what you discovered, explained expertly."
- If something would illuminate understanding → stop and discuss first
- Deepen, don't expand

**Self-contained** - Makes sense when you've forgotten the original context.

**Notes evolve** - Not final artifacts. Revise as understanding deepens.

**Concept-oriented** - "How spaced repetition works" not "Notes from Make It Stick"

**Links over folders** - Connections create value; associative beats hierarchical.

## Multiple Notes

Write in dependency order. If re-explaining → link instead. If concept repeats → extract.