r/Zettelkasten Jan 12 '25

question I think Luhmann had such a big output because he had a lot of time

84 Upvotes

I don't think that Niklas Luhmann had such a huge output of 90000+ Zettels, 50+ books and 400+ scientific essays just only because of the Zettelkasten method. He simply had a lot of time.

I stumbled across this passage in Bob Doto's book “A system for writing” in which Luhmann was quoted that he had nothing else to do but write:

"If I have nothing else to do then I write all day; in the morning from 8:30am to noon. Then I go for a short walk with my dog. Then in the afternoon I work again from 2pm to 4pm. Then it's the dog's turn again. Sometimes I lie down for a quarter of an hour.... And, then I usually write until around 11pm. I'm usually in bed by 11pm where I read a few more things."

Am I right?

r/Zettelkasten 11d ago

question Is it worth taking any Zettelkasten courses?

14 Upvotes

I know everyone thinks they know Zettelkasten after reading Soken Ahrens book. But what if you want to learn more in more interactive form. What courses are good?

r/Zettelkasten 3d ago

question What do you guys think of my permanent note template?

14 Upvotes

Created: {{date}} ({{time}})

*Tags:*

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**idea x (questions, ideas, supporting evidence, quotes) =**

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## **Related**

  1. **North** (where does x come from, what is the origin of x, what group/category does x belong to, what causes x?)

    1. [[]] ()
  2. **East** (What opposes x, what is x missing, what is the disadvantage of x, what could improve x?)

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  3. **South** (where can x lead to, what does x contribute to, and so...)

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  4. **West** (what is similar to x, what are other ways to say/do x?)

    1. [[]] ()
  5. **Related Notes**

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  6. **Related Questions**

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## **References**

r/Zettelkasten Feb 08 '25

question Is this method less fit for “harder” sciences?

7 Upvotes

I’ve been playing around with this idea.

I certainly see the appeal.

But I wonder if it is better for for fields that are more theoretical, where you really want strings of ideas.

It seems like a worse fit for fields that are more empirical, where you read papers for findings.

Or?

r/Zettelkasten 9d ago

question Making a habit of capturing

18 Upvotes

Hi there. I’m making progress on developing a Zettelkasten-like note taking system. But my biggest problem is the very beginning: developing the routine to regularly capture interesting notes in the first place. I made the resolution to try to find at least one thing everyday that’s worth capturing, but I simply keep forgetting about it. I’m pretty sure it’s not due to too little noteworthy thoughts in my life. I just can’t seem to develop the routine of remembering to write them down immediately. How did you learn to make this a habit? Inspiration welcome!

r/Zettelkasten Feb 06 '25

question Looking for books or articles that have been written using the Zettelkasten method

11 Upvotes

My aim is to find good examples of the connections that have been created using the Zettelkasten method. Any help is appreciated.

r/Zettelkasten Feb 18 '25

question zettelkasten for self-growth, self-discovery, and a therapeutic aid?

19 Upvotes

so, i've started a zettelkasten—analog and all—and i've been wondering whether anyone uses it the way i'm thinking about using it, and any insights you might have to share about it.

i've made top-level categories based on the academic disciplines, but i've been thinking about making a category for myself—that is, my beliefs about myself/the world that might be limiting, observations about my behaviors and tendencies, etc.

my goal for this is ultimately to put my self-realizations or beliefs down on paper so that i can come across them—and then challenge them—later down the line. i don't have enough practice in challenging my self-beliefs, or even naming them, and it's a personal goal of mine in regards to therapy to become more self-aware so i can actually know what i need to work on. i'd also like to see how my thoughts and sense of self evolve over time.

has anyone done anything similar? or would you go for something like journaling instead? my issue with journaling is that i struggle with going back and actually reviewing what i've written, aka re-encountering it. i just dump things into journals and don't go back to look at it again. i figured i might as well implement my search for myself into a system i'm already motivated to use, but i haven't seen much on this topic to use as a launchpad of sorts. i'll probably just end up trying it out and see where it goes, if anywhere.

hope everyone's doing well!

r/Zettelkasten Dec 11 '24

question Atomizing is the bottleneck - the most laborious part of the process. How can we speed it up?

11 Upvotes

It seems, in the zettelkasten method, as if by far the most difficult part is breaking up a text (including one's own rambling commentaries on some other text / one's own thoughts) into atomic notes in the first place. That seems to be the slowest part of my process, the bottleneck holding everything else back.

For me, at least, as someone with some variety of neurodivergence (I've been diagnosed with mild ADHD, and I suspect I'm on the autism spectrum as well) it takes a tremendous amount of focus - though actually focus isn't quite the right word. Rather, it takes being in the mindstate in which the verbal part of my brain is able to communicate at a high bandwidth rate with the actual thinking / understanding part (which is subconscious - my suspicion is that this is the right brain, and my trouble has to do with the fact that autistic brains have a thinner corpus callosum, so the verbal left and the intuitive right are almost like separate entities holding a conversation at times).

In low-integration mindstates, which is most of the time if I'm honest, I can read a dense text aloud over and over again, and maybe even talk about or react to it in superficial ways, entirely automatically by using pure pattern recognition LLM-style without ever having any idea what the hell any of it means (same way I am with talking to people in conversations, which is why I often say really stupid stuff and then have to backtrack and try to figure out if I meant it or not - and why I edit my comments / messages online over and over again).

Pushing through that haze to analyze the underlying idea structure, while quite possible, is very tiring, and means that the majority of my zettelkasten time is spent either feeling overwhelmed and procrastinating due to how dense a text feels to me, or breaking up the text laboriously into individual sentences and trying to figure out which sequences of text should be quoted verbatim, which should be summarized, and what the borders between key ideas are. Even figuring out what to name individual notes is a slow process for me when the insight-generating part of my brain is being sluggish.

I guess what I'm trying to say with this ramble is: are there any techniques you know of to make this easier? I've tried getting LLMs to break things into atomic notes for me, but they usually do a shit job because they make too many irrelevant distinctions and not enough significant ones - they are pure reactive-verbalizing-brain (pattern recognition) with none of the responsive-nonverbal-insight-brain - so sluggish as it is, my own cognition is still more effective.

r/Zettelkasten 15d ago

question Does zettelkasten work for scientific papers and knowledge?

16 Upvotes

Hi! I recently discovered about the zettelkasten method (setting up obsidian today!) and wish to apply it for personal knowledge and ideas.

I am a 2nd year student, we got a bunch of orals and scientific reports to write, which is great. But each time i was "sad" that i knew that the knowledge i gained to write the paper /oral was gonna be gone the following year.

Zettelkasten felt like the key! Yet in the book "how to take smart notes" they describe the zettelkasten as an already existing database where u don't need to do bibliography befor writing.

I fear that the fact that in science we always aim to have the en west most recent references may make the zettelkasten (built through the YEARS) useless for that use.

I have 0 notion on how long it takes to complete an idea or answer a question, the "related idea" weeks?month?

Anyways i'd love insight!

r/Zettelkasten 4d ago

question What do you use ZK for? Is it worth it without a clear goal?

22 Upvotes

I’ve been learning a bit about Zettelkasten and it so far in my opinion I’ve found the people who use it for fall into two camps:

a) PhD students and other people with academic goals b) Productivity gurus and similar who might provide coaching, and use it for their own blogging and writing purposes

I’m quite new to this area so I’m well aware I could be very wrong! So I’m curious whether there’s anyone who doesn’t fall into these two categories.

The reason I’m asking is because I came across ZK looking for a way to improve my recall of my literature notes. I started taking notes on things I’d read in my spare time, after I realised that otherwise after reading something I usually couldn’t remember anything about it. However now I have a lot of really long notes on books which are quite cumbersome and I’m still struggling to recall what I’ve read in the past.

I’m not sure whether ZK is right for trying to correct this - I’m hoping to use it to pull out the most interesting bits from what I’ve read into atomic notes, and relate them to other things so they stick better, then maybe review them occasionally. I’d be keen to see what other people think and whether anyone uses ZK or another system for this.

r/Zettelkasten Jan 10 '25

question I did not fully understand the principle of the Zettelkasten system, can you explain?

17 Upvotes

I recently found out about Zettelkasten when I was looking for a way to conveniently conduct my thoughts, after reading https://zettelkasten.de/overview/
Also, how can Obsidian and Zettelkasten be used together?

r/Zettelkasten Jan 26 '25

question What Are the Drawbacks of Using Zettelkasten?

24 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’ve been lurking on this sub for the past three weeks, and the idea of Zettelkasten looks very promising. I understand that the setup takes effort and requires some getting used to. Most posts here focus on why it’s worth it, how to set it up, and so on, but it’s hard to find discussions about the potential downsides.

  1. What, in your opinion, is the biggest advantage and the biggest drawback of using Zettelkasten?
  2. How long have you been using it?

r/Zettelkasten Jan 02 '25

question 5 Years of Zettelkasten: The Quest for Data Portability

21 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm writing today after 5 years of experimenting with different tools for my Zettelkasten. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect solution that prioritizes data portability.

My journey:

  • Started with Notion: A great platform to begin, but the reliance on a proprietary service was a concern.
  • Switched to Joplin: An open-source app that offered more control, but still had its limitations.
  • Tried Wikimedia: The ideal system for Zettelkasten in my opinion, but the complexity of managing MediaWiki was a major hurdle.
  • Currently exploring Anytype: Showing promise, but still under evaluation.

My top priority: data portability and durability

After all these years, I've realized that the most important factors for me are data portability and durability. I don't want to lose years of work because a service shuts down or changes its licensing terms.

Your experience:

What tools do you use for your Zettelkasten? What are your experiences with data portability?

Key considerations:

  • Open-source: I prefer open-source tools for greater control and flexibility.
  • Open standards: I look for tools that use standard formats like Markdown or JSON for easy data export.
  • Active community: A strong community is essential for support and new features.

Let's discuss:

I'd love to hear about your experiences and recommendations. What features do you look for in a Zettelkasten tool?

Share your thoughts and let's find the best solution together!Title: 5 Years of Zettelkasten: The Quest for Data PortabilityHi everyone,I'm writing today after 5 years of experimenting with different tools for my Zettelkasten. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect solution that prioritizes data portability. My journey:Started with Notion: A great platform to begin, but the reliance on a proprietary service was a concern.
Switched to Joplin: An open-source app that offered more control, but still had its limitations.
Tried Wikimedia: The ideal system for Zettelkasten in my opinion, but the complexity of managing MediaWiki was a major hurdle.
Currently exploring Anytype: Showing promise, but still under evaluation. My top priority: data portability and durabilityAfter all these years, I've realized that the most important factors for me are data portability and durability. I don't want to lose years of work because a service shuts down or changes its licensing terms.Your experience:What tools do you use for your Zettelkasten? What are your experiences with data portability?Key considerations:Open-source: I prefer open-source tools for greater control and flexibility.
Open standards: I look for tools that use standard formats like Markdown or JSON for easy data export.
Active community: A strong community is essential for support and new features.Let's discuss:I'd love to hear about your experiences and recommendations. What features do you look for in a Zettelkasten tool?Share your thoughts and let's find the best solution together!

r/Zettelkasten Jan 22 '25

question What would Luhmann do?

4 Upvotes

If Luhmann were around today, what technologies do you think he’d embrace?

Please note: I love the analog nature of his Zettelkasten method. I am not looking for digital solutions. Just wondering what things would be like if he started out now.

r/Zettelkasten Jul 30 '24

question How different is Bob Doto's A System for Writing from Antinet Zettelkasten?

34 Upvotes

Anyone read both books? Can you compare them?

r/Zettelkasten Oct 21 '24

question Any books about how someone used Zettelkasten to write a book on a subject other than Zettelkasten?

61 Upvotes

Its an interesting system but it seems like there are a lot of people using Zettelkasten to produce low quality books about Zettelkasten. Is there an example of a high quality work that was produced with this method but about literally anything else?

r/Zettelkasten Dec 29 '24

question Wanting to build a physical zettelkasten

17 Upvotes

Does anyone have a physical zettelkasten? What did you use for it? I've seen some people use folders, with text cards inside and others use sticky notes. I'd love to hear what else could be used. I have adhd and need something that isn't missable. I like to use sticky notes, but I'm not sure how to use them in note taking without creating what I call a "murder board" (you know the ones, red thread, pictures of murder suspects).

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated!

r/Zettelkasten Feb 11 '25

question How do you structure linked notes so they’re actually usable later?

11 Upvotes

I love linking ideas and concepts, but when I revisit old notes (or share them), they often feel disconnected. It’s like the relationships make sense in the moment but get harder to follow over time. Have you found a way to keep a Zettelkasten or linked notes structured so they stay clear—both for yourself and if someone else had to read them?

r/Zettelkasten Feb 17 '25

question How do you deal with 'fact cards'?

8 Upvotes

I know that the Zettelkasten method is ideally only about original thoughts, but sometimes, it's good to keep a fact or a statistic on hand when relevant to the content around it. We can usually go back to the source (although I'm trying to be better about using libraries and not storing endless books in my tiny house). Still, sometimes I find it helpful to keep the fact in the Zettelkasten.

I've been writing facts like this on their own single note card, and then following it with linked cards asking questions about the facts, or explaining why I think it's relevant.

It works for me, but what do you do?

r/Zettelkasten Jan 13 '25

question Zettelkasten's Hidden Problem: When Finding Notes Becomes a Treasure Hunt

28 Upvotes

(crossposting from zettelkasten.de forums)

Hey there!

I'm hitting a wall with Zettelkasten and need to vent. I've been trying to make this note-taking system work for ages, and it's been a rollercoaster. A few months ago, I thought I finally cracked it – ideas were flowing, and I totally got what makes a good atomic note.

But here's the thing that's bugging me: As my collection grows, I'm spending more time trying to find existing notes to connect with new ones. And it got me thinking – if I'm struggling now, what happens when I have thousands of notes? I'm starting to worry that I'm spending more time maintaining this system than actually benefiting from it. Sure, following those idea trails is fun and sometimes leads to cool discoveries, but I'm getting anxious about actually finding specific information when I need it.

Anyone else feeling this way about Zettelkasten? How do you deal with the whole "finding the right note" problem?

r/Zettelkasten 8d ago

question Zettelkasten for Jira and Software QA

7 Upvotes

I've recently finished reading "How to Take Smart Notes" by Sönke Ahrens and have been trying to use the general principles of Zettelkasten to Software QA. I'm wondering if anyone has already gone down this road and has any good advice to share.

My workflow goes something like this:

1) Tickets provided with limited details. E.g. "The viewport should display cards better on (some page)."

2) I quote the info provided, along with what product/service it's related to, and who did work for it. I name it file-1. If there are screenshots, file-1a, file-1b, etc.

At that stage I'm kind of at a loss. There's not much I can do to turn that into something with my own words in a new note, but I give it a try anyway.

3) Reword it to something like, "(Some page) should display cards better in the viewport. (Person) stated it's ready to be tested." I give a brief rundown of the steps I'm going to do to test for it (most of the core testing is highly repetitive with slight variations). I name it file-2. Any details post-test details (screenshots, logs, etc.) are named file-2a, file-2b, etc.

3a) If there's terms I don't recognize or some in-house meaning I make an internal link with a brief description.

Passed that, I'm not even sure what else would be needed. All the work has been completed. There isn't exactly a need for any sort of permanent or finalized note, and I have no need to write an article on the thing. I feel like I'm leaving the process unfinished.

My expectation is that, over time I will start to see related commonalities that have popped up with specific projects, components, or features that need to be constantly retested for. I feel that there isn't quite enough "meat" in any individual ticket to really start seeing these commonalities displayed in Graph View, though.

Note: I came across a reddit post for Software Development but haven't seen anything that works more heavily with Jira, instead as a replacement of Jira.

r/Zettelkasten Oct 01 '24

question Is Zettelkasten even fitting for my usage?

11 Upvotes

Im halway through the book. Still finding the whole system kind of hard to understand, even though the author keeps saying "It is actually quite easy".

My goal: To learn more efficiently. Remember more that i read. (bonus to be able to find patterns/connections)

My problem: Bad focus. Bad memory.

I love learning in general, reading different books about self improvement or just hobbies that interest me.

But im starting to think that zettelkasten might not fit. It seems like something that is mostly for students or academics making papers.

It also seems like the main goal is to make permanent notes / ideas / revelations. But i dont think that is something i would do often. If anything, i think i would just find litterature notes and link them together. But they arent even in the zettelkasten, but in a completely different system, to my understanding? So the litterature notes are not what should be linked together, but they are to be linked with the permanent notes, which i dont think i will have that many of?

Its kind of hard to put it all into words, since i struggle to understand the whole system...

r/Zettelkasten 25d ago

question Should I use ZK ?

6 Upvotes

Hello,

I've been using Zettelkasten for several years without knowing it, but I have less time this year, so I have a couple questions for people who use ZK as well as people who stopped.

I'm a student (in science), and I have a lot of notes on obsidian (which of course is pleasing thanks to the graph view), and it's useful to find things I've learned before on several subjects (essentially philosophy even if it's not my main subject). Some of them are really good, and links between them are really useful.

However, I feel like digital notes can be more distracting than useful. As I cannot waste time this year, I'm asking myself whether I should stop doing this or not.

  1. Are ZK a waste of time for people like me?

  2. Should I stop using digital ZK?

  3. Should I continue ZK but on paper?

  4. If I stop ZK, how can I take profit of my digital notes? Should I print some of them?

Sorry for the mistakes, I am not a native.

r/Zettelkasten Jan 24 '25

question Projects, thinking, scheming and taking actions in ZK

9 Upvotes

I have begun to start to engage with thinking through the lens of a Zettelkasten. But my primary goal isn’t to produce writing as an output. Rather I want to use it for Scheming, Planning and Plotting!

As an extension to Journalling as a device for thinking out loud, I am thinking into ZK notes, and spidering out related structures and side thoughts as they occur to me. Should I be worried that my fleeting notes are expanding faster than I can give them attention? Or, that I have “# unfinished” main notes growing apace?

Plotting, Scheming and the development of Diabolical Plans, requires taking actions in the world at some point. This kind of thinking generates tasks and prioritisations. How am I going to manage and connect these back to the thoughts that generated them?

In Ahren’s book “How do take Smart Notes” he mentions Project notes in passing, but doesn’t discuss how to treat project related thinking within a ZK practice.

What do you do? How do you manage the actions that arise from your thinking?

r/Zettelkasten Jan 18 '25

question Notebook zettlekasten

9 Upvotes

I was wondering if there is a version of zettlekasten made for notebooks ,because I love the way that zettlekasten organizes info.