Create SRS cards only for information you already…

Create spaced repetition cards only for information you have already understood through processing, not for definitions you cannot explain, because memorization without comprehension produces brittle unusable memory.

When This Fires

When deciding whether to create a flashcard for a new concept
When SRS reviews feel meaningless — reciting words without understanding
When memorized information can't be applied to novel situations
Complements Every ~500 words, close the source and write the core idea… (active reading) and One atomic fact per spaced repetition card, answer under… (atomic cards) as the prerequisite check

Common Failure Mode

The definition collector: creating flashcards directly from textbook glossaries or vocabulary lists without processing the underlying concepts. The SRS efficiently memorizes all the definitions. The user can pass a definition-matching test but can't use any of the concepts in context. The SRS worked perfectly — it preserved exactly what was fed into it, which was surface patterns without depth.

The Protocol

(1) Before creating a flashcard, apply the explanation test: can you explain this concept in your own words to someone who doesn't know it? (2) If yes → create the card. The understanding exists and SRS will preserve it. (3) If no → stop. Go back to the source material and process it (Every ~500 words, close the source and write the core idea…) until you can explain it. Then create the card. (4) A useful proxy: if you can generate your own example of the concept in action, you understand it well enough to memorize it. If you can only recite the definition, you don't. (5) For complex concepts, create cards only after you've written a permanent note (Write permanent notes for your six-months-from-now self…) that demonstrates your understanding. The note is the comprehension artifact; the cards are the retention mechanism.