Do you put analogies as separate notes?
I came across an analogy someone made about passion years ago that has stuck with me ever since. The analogy is:
You can tell if an Italian chef is still passionate about what they do not through the inspired specials or the amazing cannolis or tiramisu, but all you have to do is look at the red sauce. The red sauce is something they’re supposed to make fresh every day; It’s one of the main fundamentals of being an Italian chef. It’s also something that can easily become the mundane if they’re not careful. It’s in the fundamentals that a dip in passion is shown in.
I’m VERY new to building my network of notes, so I’m curious, would most people put this analogy as a separate note like “Red Sauce Analogy” or would this live in a note for the overall concept titled “When passion slips, it shows in the mundane first”?
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Comments
Both ways are valid.
If you think you can make a relation with this analogy in different notes, if you think that you can further develop your thoughts around it, if resonates in you in a relevant way, having it's own note makes sense. It has a reason to exist as a note.
If the analogy exists only as the support for the abstract concept it represents, embedding it into the main note makes sense.
Do you refer to this analogy in different places, or do you refer the concept it represents?
the use you intend to make of it indicates whether the pivot is directly the analogy or the concept. Sometimes both are useful, they work at different levels
Let go of the need to hierarchize your ideas.
I'd make two notes with this idea, linking them together into an idea thread. We have two parts: the chef's attention to seemingly mundane details and one of many interpretations. Other possible reflections are the chef is practicing like a concert trumpet player practices their scales, the chef's vision is looking at things the beginner doesn't see, and the red sauce has a history because the chef made it 10,000 times. There are other second halves of the analogy. These may not be in your ZK yet, but who knows?
Don't be afraid to collect analogies and metaphors. One of the joys of zettelkasting is finding ways to repurpose them in a new or fuller context.
How an expert acts is an idea that really strikes a chord with me, and I’m genuinely excited about it. This is a small sampling of some of my notes that might answer the question, "Why put so much energy into a simple red sauce."
Expert Analogy/Metaphor Notes
Kirsh, David. “The Intelligent Use of Space.” Artificial Intelligence, vol. 73, no. 1, 1995, pp. 31–68, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-3702(94)00017-U. Thanks for this fruitful reference @Andy way back when! ↩︎
Will Simpson
My zettelkasten is for my ideas, not the ideas of others. I don’t want to waste my time tinkering with my ZK; I’d rather dive into the work itself. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com