Read, Think, Write — A Concept Map of World Models

Edmund

How does a Zettelkasten fit into the larger landscape of knowledge sources that shape how we think and write?

I have been working on a concept map [1] that tries to answer that question. Now starting from Euler's definition [2] — intelligence as the cognitive capacity to respond appropriately despite indeterminacy — the map places the human author at the center, surrounded by six external world models: Books, the Zettelkasten, Social Media, the Internet, Experts, and AI.

The central distinction the map tries to make visible is between consulting a world model (deliberate, active, voluntary) and being shaped through language by one (ambient, often involuntary). Most external models do both. The Zettelkasten is the exception: its inward arrow is labelled "reflects through own language" — which is the argument for why it occupies a different position from the others.

The map also embeds a simple workflow: ① Read, ② Think, ③ Write. The Zettelkasten sits at the hinge between all three.

This is v0.14 of an iterative process. I would be curious whether the consults / shapes distinction resonates with how people here experience their own practice — and whether anything important is missing from the map.

Reference
[1] Obsidian Forum. “Select Tools for Zettelkasten. But How? - Knowledge Management.” September 5, 2023. https://forum.obsidian.md/t/select-tools-for-zettelkasten-but-how/66067/4?u=edmund.
[2] Euler, Matthew J. “Intelligence and Uncertainty: Implications of Hierarchical Predictive Processing for the Neuroscience of Cognitive Ability.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 94 (November 2018): 93–112.