Thinking with Zettelkasten
- zettels should generally be append-only and link to next note to show the progression of thinking on given topic
- paraphrase and rewrite in addition to copying the text
- creating Links for new notes by hand (as opposed to some "magical" automatic system) seems beneficial:
- forces reviewing existing zettels - Re-engagement in Knowledge
- forces thinking about connections, which can generate insights - Where Do Ideas Come From?
- zettels should be atomic - one idea (even if vaguely defined) per zettel
In the old system, the question is: Under which topic do I store this note? In the new system, the question is: In which context will I want to stumble upon it again?
— How to Take Smart Notes
- Zettelkasten should be organised around context in which future me might want to find this specific piece of information / thought
It's also worth saying that I virtually never delete anything, even though the software (via git) would provide a record of any deletions. Instead, when I change my mind or encounter new evidence, I just append a new note to the existing one. In effect this produces a living record of my thinking.
— https://clerestory.netlify.com/zk1/ ↗