Zettelkasten

• Zettelkasten in German is for “slip box”, which refers to a box containing many slips of paper. Each slip represents a single, atomic idea that makes sense by itself, and also in combination with other ideas (similar to how our brain works, but with a better memory).

• Introduced by Niklas Luhmann - German sociologist.

• It allowed him

  • to build a web of knowledge

  • retrieve the right memory when needed

  • find meaningful connections among topics

  • develop ideas and arguments efficiently

• Tools Required:

  • A slip box
  • Index cards
  • Pen
  • Two boxes
    • Reference Box - bibliographical notes with reference details and brief notes about the content of the literature
    • Main box - where he collected new ideas and insights.

• Steps:

  1. Taking literature notes:
     1. When you are reading something, always have a pen and an index card with you.
     2. When you find information you don’t want to forget or you want to use in your writing or thinking, write it on your index card instead of highlighting it in the book itself.
     3. Write it in your own words to understand it.
     4. Keep it brief for easier review later.
     5. Be extremely selective.
     6. Write less than three sentences.
  2. Take reference notes:
     1. Take bibliographical notes after finishing reading something.
     2. Luhmann wrote the reference information on one side and a brief summary of the content on the other side.
     3. Then he kept the cards in the bibliographical box.
  3. Make permanent notes:
     1. Go through each note you made in the previous step, thinking about how they relate to what you are learning, your interests, thinking, or research.
     2. The goal is not to collect too many notes, but to add value to your existing ideas, arguments, and discussions.
     3. What is important here is to find meaningful connections between what you just learned and what you already know.
     4. By doing so, you build a web of knowledge. The more web of knowledge you develop, the easier it becomes to learn and retrieve information from your brain.
     5. This is because the more information we have, the more hooks we can use to connect new information to.
     6. The more connected information means more cues we can use to trigger the right memory.
     7. To find such connections efficiently, ask yourself, “How does this idea fit into what I already know?"
     8. "Can this be explained by something else?"
     9. "What does X mean for Y?"
     10. "How can I use this idea to explain Z?”
     11. Additionally, it is important to find keywords in your notes to find connections among them.
     12. Finding keywords is not about where to store a note but about how to retrieve it.
     13. While finding keywords, many people ask, “Which keyword is most fitting?” or “Which category does this fall into?”
     14. Rather, it should be, “In which circumstances would I want to stumble upon this note even if I forget about it?” or “When and how will I use this idea?”
     15. Keywords should always be assigned with an eye towards the topic you are working on or interested in, never by looking at the notes in isolation.
     16. After finding connections, add your new permanent notes into the main box by filing each one behind relevant notes.
     17. Add links to relevant notes.
     18. Index to make them easy to discover later.
  4. Fleeting Notes:
     1. They are the temporary holders of your ideas and thoughts that pop into your mind, like the ideas you get while taking a shower or walking.
     2. Always keep a mini notebook or a piece of paper with you so you can write down your ideas anytime.
     3. Review your fleeting notes within a few days and develop them into permanent notes.
     4. After repeating these steps for a while, you will have developed a huge web of knowledge.
     5. Now, whenever you need to find information about a topic to write about, turn to your box of cards and see the lines of cards you developed. Identify what is missing and what questions arise. You can read more and take notes to develop your ideas and arguments further.

• When you are done with this process, you will already have a wealth of information in your hands. This means you don’t have to start from scratch when writing. All you have to do is reassemble your notes into a logical order and translate them into something coherent.

• New Knowledge is added to your existing knowledge and this boosts your understanding of both and this helps you generate new ideas.

Uniqueness in Zettelkasten

• In other words, hierarchies emerged instead of being established from the start.
• He starts from the bottom, with the content, and then builds it back up into new topics.
• The more Luhmann connected his notes, the more these new hierarchies emerged. Connecting his notes not only allowed him to develop multiple ideas at once but also to generate original ideas never seen by any other scholar.
• Your brain will only continue to think effectively when it knows everything can be taken care of - Detachment gain
• The Zettelkasten is designed to present you with ideas you have already forgotten, allowing your brain to focus on thinking rather than remembering.

Make atomic literature notes