Intellectual Compound Interest · Feb 2026
Evergreen Notes
Evergreen notes are designed to be revisited, refined, and
densely linked. Unlike temporary records, they accumulate value over time,
serving as the building blocks of your original thinking.
01/The Principles
=
Atomic: One concept per note.
=
Concept-Oriented: Titles represent a claim or
idea, not just a topic.
= Densely
Linked: The value lies in the connections, not
just the content.
Capture
Refine
Link
02/CLN Workflow
Structural
CLN maps the "Living Note" concept to plain-text operators:
@see: Direct semantic
link to a related concept.
@contrast: Typed
connection to an opposing view.
@deprecated: Marks
information that understanding has superseded.
03Anatomy of an Atom
= Atomicity
Principle
. One note = one
idea.
+ Benefit: Easier to
link precisely.
! Risk:
Fragmentation.
@mitigation: Use hub
notes to connect related atoms.
* Review
Quiz: What differentiates Evergreen from
Fleeting notes? ||
Continuous evolution and dense linking ||
04/Comparison
.
Zettelkasten: Shared focus on atomicity, but
CLN avoids rigid ID systems.
.
PARA: PARA organizes for action; Evergreen
organizes for insight.
+
Synergy: Use PARA for folder structure,
Evergreen for the notes themselves.