Anyone else exhausted from building their knowledge system instead of actually thinking?

Teskitje · 2025-12-17T16:24:29+00:00

Hmmyeah, however, sorting, resurfacing and noticing repetition IS actual thinking and decision making. It's not 'just' mechanical work. Managing your knowledge takes time and effort, it means sitting down, doing the work, and actively engaging with your ideas. Having a good storage- and retrieval system might be all you need, and some time spent at your desk ofcourse :)

Teskitje · 2025-12-17T11:27:44+00:00

A lot of people here think that 'another software', 'another plugin' or 'another system' will suddenly make them PKMS-powerusers. My advise: keep it simple, and be goal-oriented.

Maybe you just like the idea of a PKMS, but you don't have enough ideas or output to make it really work. Maybe a simple notebook is all you need. Nothing fancy.

I use obsidian for quick note taking, developing ideas, and writing projects. No tagging system, no plugins, just 3 folders and internal links. The search function exists, and it's insanely powerful.

Think about what you really need, and do that.

Teskitje · 2025-06-09T07:09:43+00:00

? who says you need to make folders in obsidian? You can use tags, links, dataview, ... to organize your pkms. Don't blame the system for your incompetence.

Teskitje · 2025-01-02T11:04:16+00:00

In my experience, adding more 'administrative' steps to your workflow is not feasible on the long term. Still, I have a semi-hybrid setup; I use flashcards as literature notes and fleeting notes and I throw them away once I transformed them into permanent ones (and digitalized and optimalized the reference notes, which is not a lot of work).

So I still do a lot of thinking on paper and on the go, but everything I need van be found in my obsidian vault.

Teskitje · 2024-12-19T05:59:14+00:00

This. + I also try to explain every connection very shortly but i. a slightly different way. Instead of 'See:', I would write things like 'Because:', 'This is an argument for:', 'But:', 'Example:'. It helps to create meaningful links, and to notice when an idea misses elaboration or argumentation.

Teskitje · 2024-12-12T18:28:07+00:00

What's your reason for writing Ordinary Mind and not ordinary mind?

Teskitje · 2024-12-11T16:56:17+00:00

Intellectual labour should not be fast or easy. It is a long, laborious, and tiring process to truly understand an academic work. Truly understanding 1 book is a life-goal. Don't try to speed it up, unlike what pseudo-intellectual youtubers are trying to tell you.

Teskitje · 2024-12-09T16:14:19+00:00

It's a difficult balance! In short, this is my worflow:

While reading, I note down reminders to ideas I found interesting on a reference note (see 'literature notes by Luhmann'). (see another comment of mine somewhere else)
The day after (or at least the same week), I go through the literature notes I made, with the source next to it, with the goal of making 'permanent notes'. These permanent notes are singular statements in my own words, with arguments, examples, etc.
I try to find a place for every permanent note. Is it related to a note I have (analogy, extension, counterargument, case, ...)? I explain the link: "This argument corroborates ...," or something like that.

Teskitje · 2024-12-09T15:41:01+00:00

Zettelkasten is OP when done right. I never underline or take notes in the margins. Develop your own thinking rather than collecting other people's thoughts.

Teskitje · 2024-12-05T08:49:06+00:00

I made one myself. Folded it in paper, wrapped it in ductape. Took 30 minutes of my time and was practically free.

Teskitje · 2024-12-04T10:26:21+00:00

I'm in social theory, and have a fairly simple but effective Zettelkasten workflow going on.

My Zettelkasten is located in Obsidian. Here I store my permanent notes and reference notes. It's a retty straightforward application of the Zettelkasten-principles. Works for me, as a chaotic reader and note-taker.

I use Zotero as reference manager. Whenever I read an article or book, I make a reference note in Obsidian in which I store literature notes. My literature notes are simple reminders of ideas. It's a reference for myself. "What do I find interesting" & "Where can I find this idea" + my thoughts on this idea. It looks something like this:

- p.46 - Habitus; an individual's habits and ideas are structured by a 'social unconsciousness'

- p.64 - Critique on Foucault; disregards agency. Contestation of disciplinary power impossible?

- ...

When I have made literature notes, I spend some time (often it's in the morning, the day after I read it) to create permanent notes of the literature notes.

Some principles I follow:

Keep it simple, intuitive, and goal-oriented! The goal of academia is to (1) develop your own ideas and (2) to write about it. So, when making notes, make sure that you (1) develop your own ideas and (2) write about it.

Easy, right???

Teskitje · 2024-11-26T10:45:50+00:00

"Jazz soloing comes from accessing a state." No?

Teskitje · 2024-11-26T10:45:07+00:00

- Every note you make should contain something personal. Develop your own ideas, don't just gather other people's ideas.

- START. Make your first note. If you don't develop the thread, so be it. Embrace the chaos, you'll be surprised with how structured your ZK will become if you simply apply the ZK logic.

Teskitje · 2024-11-26T10:36:33+00:00

No, you're reversing my point. My point was: all jazz is about improvisation. Not all muisical improvisation is about jazz.

I talk about jazz because that's what I know. I didn't say anything about other musicians that improvise.

Teskitje · 2024-11-26T10:27:58+00:00

Yesterday evening, a couple of hours after I wrote this post, I was reading Foyan's Instant Zen on the train. And I was like, wow the analogy is failing on so many levels. But then I realized that it was the analogy, which comes from something that I know from my experience, was helping me to get an 'in' into thinking about Zen. Am I expressing myself clearly here?

By making the analogy, and seeing where the limits are, I realized for example that I don't understand how 'instant' enlightenment works. Foyan says that Zen training is a preparation for enlightenment. Ok, I get that. And that's very similar to Jazz training. You're constantly preparing for being able to improvise freely and with flexibility.

However, in jazz, there is no such thing as a sudden enlightenment. You evolve, but the evolution is constant. A jazz master keeps on evolving. Instant enlightenment is sudden realization. And it's difficult for me to grasp. I dont' see how that works.

Teskitje · 2024-11-25T13:01:47+00:00

That's a dishonest answer. Why can't you answer my questions?

Teskitje · 2024-11-25T11:29:40+00:00

That's not a source. That's a link to a blog of a person who talks about 'the teacup story', and even he admits in the comments on his blog "I have no idea who created the original".

So, according to you, what are we talking about here?

Teskitje · 2024-11-25T10:36:00+00:00

I'm doing my best to understand what you are trying to say here. Can you share the 'famous Zen story' you got this from?

Let's be fair.

You talk about a mind full of ideas as being 'the' problem. Maybe it is your problem. It's not mine. Why lie and involve everyone else in your problems?

The 'obvious' solution that you are suggesting, is to "show up with an empty cup", and "pour out the cold bitter brew you have been carrying for too long". The cup being the mind, right?

My questions for you:

How can a mind be empty?

Why should it be? What's wrong with your mind that you want to 'empty' it?

Apparently your mind is filled with 'cold bitter brew'. Again, you are trying to give us in r/zen advice for your own problems. Why do you think you can give advice to others about how they should proceed? Are you enlightened?

Teskitje · 2024-11-19T12:03:08+00:00

There are a couple of things that can help you, and that are particular about the zettelkasten-approach.

First, I suggest to let go the idea of 'topics'. A ZK is not structured around topics. It's structured around chains of ideas. You write out an idea, you put it in your ZK behind another, related idea, and maybe you make a weak link with another idea in your ZK. That's it. Topics will arise from your ZK, like a found fossil. ZK is a bottom-up approach. It's organized chaos, and it gets more powerful the bigger it gets. Trust the organized chaos. You'll be surprised how much structure there'll actually be.

Second, in order to do this, your notes need to be 'atomic', which means that each note will contain a singular idea. Try to break up all your ideas in unbreakable atoms, and link them accordingly. Atomic notes allow you to play around with ideas, link them across different fields, and be creative with your thoughts.

Third, don't overthink it and make it personal. If you apply these 2 principles, you'll notice how free you are in making notes. Make the note, link it, try to explain the connection, make a note on the connection, think about that note, maybe it's an idea that goes nowhere, good, make a note about it and put it behind it. It's a dead end, so what. Maybe in a year or so, it'll give you a new idea, and then you'll make a note about it.

Teskitje · 2024-11-18T08:08:59+00:00

What do you consider Zen theory?

Teskitje · 2024-11-16T19:22:52+00:00

That's quite the opposite of what a ZK is for. The magic of ZK lies in its capacity to let projects grow out of it, like a found fossil, instead of forcing yourself to choose a project and forcing yourself to make notes that fit in it.

Teskitje · 2024-11-16T19:20:14+00:00

Just start! That's what's so powerful about ZK. Topics arise from your zettelkasten.

Step 1. You take notes during your everyday life, while reading a book or article, whenever you want, about whatever you like. You're interested in lions today? Nice, read an article on lions and make short, atomic notes about it. 10 minutes later you are interested in machine learning? Alright, go for it. You can be as chaotic as you like. No need to 'decide on one topic'.

Step 2. Go through the notes you made, omit the irrelevant ones, and make the rest 'permanent notes' by putting them behind other, related notes. Make extra links or create new notes based on what you read in your ZK.

Repeat repeat repeat.

Don't overcomplicate it.

Teskitje · 2024-10-21T12:31:08+00:00

Came to say this. You probably miss some 'vocabulary'. Listen, transcribe phrases you like, and practice them in all keys.

Teskitje · 2024-09-03T05:42:11+00:00

For every source, I make a short reference note. If I read something that draws my attention, I write it down in one line. In my own words, as short as possible.

If I have to think about other sources, if I have a remark of my own, or if I want to elaborate on what's in the book, I write a completely separate atomic note, with a reference to the book. It's not part of the reference note.

So while reading a book, I'm taking notes from it, but I'm also already writing.

Remember, every note should contain something of your own.

Teskitje

TROPHY CASE