1-MINUTE THOUGHTS

Thoughtful People Summarise Links Before Sharing Them

It’s a skill that will benefit the way you take notes, too

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When you’ve seen something that you think someone you know would appreciate, it’s natural to want to share it with them. So you send them a link. Nice! You’re a thoughtful, caring kind of person.

But are you really coming across that way?

Your time is precious, and so is the time of the people who receive your recommendations. Try this: when sending someone a link to something you think they’ll benefit from, tell them why as accurately as you can, in as few words as possible.

If you’re having a busy day and I send you this message —

So cool! Check it out! https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586–023–00709–7

— you’ll probably set it aside for a later that never comes.

But if the message looks like this —

Hey, thought this might help S with that homework assignment. They’ve mapped the brains of fruit flies, and it’s helping research on degenerative brain diseases. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586–023–00709–7

— you’ll know exactly why I think you should take a look, what I think you’ll take away from…