Zettelkasten Note-Taking Method: Simply Explained

Zettelkasten method is a powerful knowledge management system, developed by Niklas Luhmann, a German sociologist. His system allowed him to build a huge web of knowledge, learn and retrieve information with ease and develop new ideas, discussions and arguments efficiently. Not many people know about this method, so I thought I'd make a video explaining a general workflow of Zettelkasten. Hope this helped!

In the next video, I'll talk about how I implement Zettelkasten in Roam Research!

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[littlecabinknits]

As a German who studied Luhmann's Zettelkasten system, I can say, this was an excellent explanation of all aspects, especially pointing out the common misunderstandings and explaining them right!

[overthemoo]

This is exactly what I have needed. Just went back to college a year ago, and I enjoy my classes but the last 2-3 weeks become insanely stressful. I knew there had to be a way to take notes that would benefit my scattered way of absorbing and recalling information, but I had no extra time to work it out. This seems perfectly appropriate.

[EmpressCosplay]

As a German, I am SO happy that you pronounced Zettelkasten properly!
Good pronounciation of the sounds, and, more importantly, not over-exaggerated (it can be borderline insulting sometimes, really!). I just appreciate it so so so much.

Also, amazing video! Your visualisation of the principles is on point.

[mariap.]

Finally a video that explains this succinctly and accurately. There is so many 1 hour long video where people just talk how they are implementing what they think Zettelkasten means... Congrats!

[vohnvones]

As soon as it begun I knew it was the best zettelkasten video out there. Thanks man

[asquirre]

I've been searching for this method for years. Almost fully developed the system myself but I'm glad that it's been successfully ironed out

[henrietta]

Shu....it would be crazy to share or reveal here but...the family just lost a furry family member (pet), and I could not find anything online...tunes, or my regular channels to take a break from the pain.
I am also binding my own journal
...you video helped! because it means I can remember more...something like that brings in more hope, and some light.
it helped me not sit in the dark, even for a little while. and I am sorry if this is TMI or being rude talking about something else..
but I truly wanted to leave a line or two, of gratitude
..thank you

[realisticrealist]

30 yrs in Germany and I hear this system for the first time 😅
Thank you for this video! When I went to school we had "Karteikarten" ... Mainly for learning vocabulary but also such index cards with information about a topic (e.g. in biology). Nowadays you can keep the same information on your tablet or even your phone 😂

But I will always prefer the feel of real paper 🙂

[PringlesOriginal]

Thanks for explaining. I came across this method last night and I started it and I have to say it is definitely AMAZING. The way you can keep making sub notes to add to the main idea is really helping my brain make connections, unlike mind maps which NEVER helped me because it all felt muddled. Hopefully I stay organised with it, but I've organised them like this. First I give the whole section a topic number

e.g 3) Knowledge from reason. I label every card from that section with that same number.
Then for the topics from that section I use 3a. A priori/ A posteriori
Or for next topic, next card or set of cards, 3b. Necessary and contingent etc etc

And then when I find an idea/point that I want to add to the sub topic I was studying and completed notes for already or thought I had fully understood, I label that card 3a1. Or 3a2 or 3b1 or 3b.2. The genius is in this step, because you can just go back and keep adding more and more examples, points, analogies, questions that been answered which clarify that main 3a) sub topic card.

It's a wonderful system!! I feel like I found my perfect system to study for my exams, I have always struggled with note taking and this just seems concise and captivating enough, to organise my thoughts and store them in a way I can access and add too later, which I always felt unable to do with just paper alone.

I am gonna put all my notes into digital format aswell, but yes. I'm super happy. And I use the feynman technique to review the card or review the topic before making the cards so I really know what I'm talking about :P I'm finally using all the flashcards I've had stored in my room for years! Lol. Flash cards never appealed to me because of their unorganised nature, but now that I can easily organise them it honestly is wonderful!

If only they thought you these things in school! I'm 22 now, with the hopes of going to uni after being out of school for a few years. :)

[tdd]

Lemme start this off with how much I love this video. Thank you for all the work you put in. This is a great service to us all.

I just wanted to have a discussion about how the Bibliographical Slip Box is so inconsistently described by so many blog posts and videos on the topic. And almost everyone avoids discussing how it is done on paper. So, hear me out please. But it is important to note that this is not a religion. We can all vary our approach.

Ahrens calls the notes in that slip box "literature notes" and "reference notes" interchangeably (he doesn't have them separated as you do in your video) and just like with the "term" permanent notes, he almost always uses those terms as descriptions not labels (not really "terms" per se)—i.e., lowercase "literature/reference notes" and lowercase "permanent notes" (cuz, literature notes are ALSO permanent notes, Ahrens, chapter 6, p42). I call the notes in the main slip box, Main Notes or just "the notes in the main slip box".

Anyway. Ahrens is particularly vague (and sometimes contradictory) on this topic in the book. Luhmanns put all his extremely brief literature/reference notes on one side of a card and included a very brief bibliographical reference there. Then he put the full bibliographical into on the back of the card. Ahrens describes it vaguely in section 1.3 and then quotes exactly what Luhmann says he did in section 10.1, paragraph 5.

That being said. Luhmanns and Ahrens don't advocate one method for the mechanics of the thing as long as you are consistent and follow the principles. I like Umberto Eco's terminology even better: Reading Index Cards (Reading Notes) and Idea Index Cards (Idea Notes).

So, I suppose what I am getting at is that every description I see of Luhmann's methodology gets hand-wavy on the topic of reference notes. Primarily because there is no one source that I have found in the English language that definitively describes how he structured these precisely. I had to read, re-read, look at photos, even take notes, etc. I am certain many of the folks coming to this video are having the same issue.

All that being said, I like your spin on the concept. Literature Notes and Reference Notes as two steps in the process instead of one. Personally, I keep a document I call "Reading Summary" (or just "Summary"—a one-context document) that feed into my "Reference Notes" and "Main Notes". They start off as fleeting literature notes (as Ahrens calls them) and then I edit them down to something more sensible: "Fleeting Notes" and "Fleeting Literature Notes" ⟶ "Reading Summary" ⟶ "Reference Notes" and "Main Notes" (or the more Eco-ish, "Reading Notes" and "Idea Notes").

. . . Oi. That was a lot longer than I intended. Great video. You really nailed the nuance of the method, especially the core principlies, that so many struggle to articulate or miss completely. I.e. You truly capture how the method is different, like really really different. Great job.

[dalnoob]

Great video! I actually took notes on this using the Zettelkasten Method while watching it a second time.

[feishien]

This is the most informative and useful explanation of the zettelkasten system I’ve seen so far! Thanks for the explainer!

[treyunderwood]

My favorite video description of Zettelkasten! Keep the good work up!

[isseyfujishima]

I've become curious about this method, so thanks for the introduction, even if I didn't grasp it fully yet. I especially like that you pronounce the German word Zettelkasten beautifully and accurately (the 'Z' being pronounced as 'TS'), and it's a pleasure to listen to you in general.

[geraldlandis]

Gentle professor teacher.. that is concise

[sharonhillam]

Well done, Shu! This is one of the best explanations of the Zettelkasten system I've seen on the net! 👍

[sulaymanph]

I think your video is very helpful. it is short but full of useful information. your videos are better than most youtubers in this area.

[amarila]

Amazing. Thank you. I'll try for use during learning because unfortunately I forget a lot

[gracedingal]

I used to teach at a university and I noticed a trend wherein my students who graduated with Latin honors are the same ones who took down notes by hand. I usually give essay exams and I pretty much can read myself while checking and grading their papers.

[andrewvazquez]

This is the best and most accurate video I have found to explain this method! Many other ones leave things out or miss the point. Thank you!