📝§ Zettelkasten

author

Niklas Luhmann

Zettelkasten is a scalable system of writing notes that helps building a coherent network of ideas. (This also helps in writing articles/books/etc)

• Zettelkasten process

• Zettelkasten is about developing ideas, not collecting them

  • Separate literature notes from permanent notes

  • Separate permanent notes and project notes

  • Treat random notes as a separate “project”

  • Use tags sparingly in Zettelkasten

• Structure notes as trains of thoughts

• Take non-verbatim notes

  • Taking non-verbatim notes improves conceptual understanding

• What Zettelkasten is good/bad for

  • Zettelkasten is best for research

  • Zettelkasten is bad for pre-packaged learning

  • Zettelkasten as a tool for building mental models

    • Zettelkasten as a tool for breaking down and rebuilding the structure

• Zettelkasten makes things easier to remember by connecting ideas

• Zettelkasten is GTD of note-taking

• Zettelkasten is subject to cumulative effect

  • The slip box needs a number of years in order to reach critical mass

• Zettelkasten lives its own life

• Folgezettel (notes sequence)

• How does Zettelkasten deal with Collector’s Fallacy?

• Have multiple projects to work on

• How computers can enhance Zettelkasten method?

• Spaced repetition

  • How to use Spaced Repetition and Zettelkasten together?

  • How spaced repetition algorithms can help note-taking?

    • Spaced repetition for writing inbox

• Archiving

• Zettelkasten is a manifestation of Yellow

• Can I apply PARA to Zettelkasten?

See also

• § Spaced Repetition

• § Mental models

• § Note-taking

  • Note-taking apps (some apps support Zettelkasten process)

Resources

• Ahrens₂₀₁₇

• https://zettelkasten.de/

• Ahrens & Forte₂₀₂₀