Zettelkasten Method

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Input 1) Ideas of spontaneity, a spark of thoughts [Fleeting Notes] 2) Marganalia, Highlights, and carbon copy regalia [Literature Notes]

[Permeant Notes] or *Zettels Self contained as if publishing, so no direct entry unless thought is “fully formed.” Meaning a formation of a [Category] or [Tag]

Possible Sub Category, which some input into reference managers instead - causing confusion to the aforementioned literature notes, is the use of reference notes

• Analysis or Summary of an article/educational piece

Source: https://zettelkasten.de/posts/concepts-sohnke-ahrens-explained/

“Create a web of thoughts instead of notes of arbitrary size and form, and emphasize connection, not a collection.”

Wikipedia is for information retreival (an encylopedia). Zettlekasten is a tool for thinking because of it’s “one Zettel per thought” Foundation

• Zettels are like tweets - short. Not just informational though, but knowledge!
  • Think about the overwhelming feeling of mass texts and information. It’s not conducive to flow nor research based work.

Connections over content. Relation to others notes, more than just being a note.

Source: Sascha. “Introduction to the Zettelkasten Method.” Zettelkasten Method, October 27, 2020. https://zettelkasten.de/introduction/.

1. read with a pen in hand and make fleeting notes (that are tied to references)
2. 2. later make permanent notes in your own words from those fleeting notes that are valuable
3. 3. spend time thinking about how those permanent notes connect into your existing knowledge and file them accordingly

Source: greasemonkey, Obsidian Forum, June 2020

Check out “The Professor and The Madam” with Mel Gibson. More so, reflect on the lexicographer who’s story the movie tells. The zettlekasten-like boxed system for organizing every mention of words as they relate to the formation of the first Oxford dictionary.

Diagram of Zettelkasten Method like tagging

Index card sized notes

1 | main topic 1a| related to topic 1 1a1 | related to topic 1a 1a1a | related to topic 1a1 2 | topic 2

Of course, the subnotes (categories) are still tied together by the main topic, so the numbering of a note, or name, is relevant after the thoughts been recorded, and when contemplating it’s proper place in your zettels

I really like the tagging of this -> Video Link The Zettelkasten Method of tagging via 3a. 3b - This is quite similar to bullet journal indexing, which I used immensely, but not for any specific topic but as a quick reference to where the writing continues.

Avoid specific topics, instead subcategorize