Zettelkasten Forum


Statistical Mechanics of Ideas and Note Taking

Sketchnote showing a magnifying glass focused on one of many colored dots representing "ideas in the solution of life". One orange dot has an arrow indicating it being placed to a row of "existing notes" represented by colored dots. These are then "linked" into a connected row of dots which are labeled "ideas filed and linked". These are then transformed by "writing" into a single circle (with a mixture of all the noted dots), which sits on a surface representing the zettelkasten or commonplace book. An arrow from the multicolored circle indicating "publishing" pushes the "new idea" back out into the bigger world of colored dots.

Verso (I rarely write notes on the back of cards, but occasionally make exceptions for sketchnote-based cards):
A zettelkasten or commonplace provides a catalytic surface to which ideas in the "solution of life" can more easily adhere to speed their reaction with ideas you've already seen and collected.

Once combined via linking, further thinking and writing, they can be released as novel ideas for everyone to use.

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No piece of information is superior to any other. Power lies in having them all on file and then finding the connections. There are always connections; you have only to want to find them. —Umberto Eco

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