#📝note >Each note is only an element that derives its value from the web of references and cross references within the system... *-Niklas Luhman* --- Zettelkasten is an approach to note-taking and information management. With its focus on creating and exploring connections between individual pieces of information, the method serves as a practical implementation of [[tools for thought#Networked Thinking|networked thinking]], enabling practitioners to navigate the complex networks of their knowledge and ideas. German sociologist Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998) realized that a note was only as valuable as its context – its network of associations, relationships, and connections to other information. He developed a simple system based on paper index cards, which he referred to as his “slip-box” (or "Zettelkasten" in German). The system was designed to connect any given note to as many different potentially relevant contexts as possible. **Intended not just for a single project or book, but for a lifetime of reading and researching**. The full archive of Luhmann’s notes is available in an [online database](http://ds.ub.uni-bielefeld.de/viewer/search/-/MD_AUTHOR_UNTOKENIZED:%22Luhmann%2CU005C+Niklas%22/1/-/-/) maintained by the University of Bielefeld Using the Zettelkasten as his [[second brain]] and a research partner, Niklas Luhmann was able to write 70 books and ≈400 academic articles throughout his career. The recent interest in Zettelkasten may be attributed to expanded translations and interpretations of Luhmann's works into English, along with the advent of tools (such as [[Roam]] and [[Obsidian]]) capable of effectively mimicking and enhancing the application of Zettelkasten. In 2017 the Zettelkasten method was elaborated by Sönke Ahrens in the book [How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34507927) The book was later [neatly summarised by Tiago Forte](https://fortelabs.com/blog/how-to-take-smart-notes/) Below is a brief summary of Tiago's summary of Sönke's book :) --- ## The Principles ### 1. Writing is the medium where thinking unfolds - Creative writing begins as early as as we take notes on the articles or books we read, the podcasts or audiobooks we listen to, and the interesting conversations and life experiences we have. - Writing something down is the key to learning and remembering it long-term. - Translating an idea into your own words is crucial for understanding it. - Writing is not only for proclaiming formed ideas, but also for developing ideas in the first place. It's not just the outcome of, but also the medium for thinking. ### 2. Do your work as if writing is the only thing that matters - An idea kept private is as good as one never had. - Consuming information with the mindset of working towards publication fosters greater focus, curiosity, and thoroughness. ### 3. Nobody ever starts from scratch - Every intellectual endeavour starts with a preceding conception (prior experience, research, or other understanding). - An external system for recording research not only enhances the writing process; it makes writing feasible. - The goal is to systematically extract information from linear sources, mix and shake them up together until ideas emerge, and then turn them back into linear texts for others to consume. ### 4. Tools and techniques are only as valuable as the workflow - The true value of tools and techniques emerges when they contribute to a systematic workflow for collecting, organizing, and sharing ideas. - A good systems strips away complexity and distractions from the main work, which is thinking. ### 5. Standardization enables creativity - Each note must be treated the same, regardless of content, source, topic, medium, etc. - The potential of the shipping container was only unleashed when every other part of the shipping supply chain was changed to accommodate it (i.e. the design of ships, cranes, trucks, and harbors). Notes are like shipping containers for ideas. - Standardizing the format and processing of notes clears the way for meaningful work—thinking, reflecting, writing, and sharing. ### 6. Improve via feedback - Intentionally exposing work to high-quality feedback is a pathway to improvement. - There are many forms of feedback, both internal and external – from peers, from teachers, from social media, **and from rereading our own writing**. - Each attempt to rephrase a concept in one's own words practices the core skill of insight: distinguishing truly important elements from the irrelevant. ### 7. Work on multiple, simultaneous projects - While reading, a constant stream of new ideas is encountered, but only a tiny fraction proves useful and relevant at any given moment. - Recording all meaningful ideas, regardless of their eventual use, significantly boosts the likelihood of "stumbling upon" them in the future. - The most compelling ideas often come unexpectedly, and the most fascinating topics are those not initially planned for exploration. ### 8. Organize notes by context, not by topic - Instead of filing notes according to where they came from, file them according to where they might be going. - Rather than thinking like a librarian (“Where should I store this note?”), think more like a writer (“In which circumstances will I want to stumble upon this note again?”). - Don’t think about a single, “correct” location for a piece of information. Think about how it can be repurposed and reused elsewhere. - The slip-box is a thinking tool, not an encyclopedia. ### 9. Follow the most interesting path - Students fail not because of a lack of ability, but because they lose a personal connection to what they are learning. - Our sense of motivation depends on making consistent forward progress. But in creative work, questions change and new directions emerge. ### 10. Save contradictory ideas - By taking notes on a wide variety of sources and in objective formats that exist outside our heads, we practice the skill of seeing what is really there and describing it plainfully and factually. - By saving ideas that aren’t compatible with each other and don’t necessarily support what we already think, we train ourselves to develop subtle theories over time instead of immediately jumping to conclusions. - By playing with a concept, stretching and remixing it, we become less attached to how it was originally presented. --- ## The Process ### 1. Make fleeting notes Fleeting notes are quick, informal notes on any thought or idea. They don’t need to be highly organized. They are not meant to capture an idea in full detail, but serve more as reminders. ### 2. Make literature notes Literature notes summarise external information in our own words Sönke Ahrens offers four guidelines in creating literature notes: - Be extremely selective in what you decide to keep - Keep the overall note as short as possible - Use your own words, instead of copying quotes verbatim - Write down the bibliographic details on the source ### 3. Make permanent notes Permanent notes represent our unique insights, reflections, and understandings. This step starts with looking through the fleeting and literature notes. Write these permanent notes as if you are writing for someone else - use full sentences, disclose your sources, make explicit references, and try to be as precise and brief as possible. ### 4. Add new permanent notes to the slip-box Create an internal pathway through your slip-box. Like hyperlinks on a website, they give you many ways to associate ideas with each other. ### 5. Develop topics bottom up from within the slip-box Topic to write about should naturally emerge from within the slip-box, as a function of notes available. The notes can then be organized into rough drafts, from which the final piece of sharable content emerges. --- ## References - [A brief thread on how Zettelkasten works](https://twitter.com/0xZakk/status/1309167935055900674) - [The Zettelkasten. "It's like the GTD for intellectual progress"](https://twitter.com/Conaw/status/1129788853189955584) - [How To Take Smart Notes: 10 Principles to Revolutionize Your Note-Taking and Writing](https://fortelabs.com/blog/how-to-take-smart-notes/) Luhmann's actual slip-box: ![[zettelkasten_1.png]]![[zettelkasten_2.png]] --- <font style="color: #F86759">Contributors:</font> *[[Jaros]]* <font style="color: #F86759">Last edited:</font> *2024-03-03*