Agree that note-taking impairs the purpose of lecture which is to impart 1-2 key thoughts/derivations. I'd take this to the logical extreme and claim university lectures are largely vestiges of a past when the replication and distribution of monographs was expensive, and audiences were often the speaker's peers who could benefit from live interaction. The advent of the internet and the commoditization of post-secondary education have dissolved these two motivations, and the fact that colleges charge the same tuition for recorded lectures during COVID-19 belies the longstanding "dirty" secret that college is more a third-party seal of approval than a place of genuine learning.

Hi Jacob. Paul Graham's comments are only accurate if you apply reflective practices and gain the learning. There might be some learnings, but they are inconsistent, weak and and easily lost. If you only have one conversation a day, then you'll probably think about it later that day. Taking notes allows you to reflect on it later, especially if you have a busy schedule. Jarvis talks about this, but you'll see reflection being promoted as a necessity in many learning theories

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Theory_Practice_of_...

I think we're in agreement, assuming your premises are:

1. Reflection is necessary

2. In some cases, note-taking can aid reflection (such that marginal benefit > marginal cost)

I'd agree even if you change "some" to "most"--just not "all." I don't think you're arguing that, but I've seen people assert it.