I like the terms ... Excerpts / Observation and Reflections way more than Fleeting / Literature / Permanent. I can actually understand E.O.R. and what to do with those. Great video and will be watching repeatedly.
Thanks for watching. Yeah it’s scary to see how far people have run with Fleeting/Literature/Permanent notes when they’re not really representative of what Luhmann actually did.
Excerpts / Observation and Reflections make much more sense to me as all of them are permanent, yet I feel a strong urge to separate them. They serve different needs and have to be addressed differently. Thank you for a clear explanation!
Very good stuff. You explained in detail with a clear logical and linear description, each topic moving seamlessly into the next. I enjoyed this video and this has been a video that caused me to stop what I was doing and pay attention as I was enthralled in your discussion, which I cannot remember which video on UA-cam has done this to me in years. I am much appreciative of you taking the time to discuss this
I like the literature card for a couple reasons. First, it gives me an outline of the book. Secondly, it allows me to either dig into each piece of info to form my thoughts on it or Cherry pick info from the book to create my thoughts on it. So if I get busy, I can simply file the literature note and come back to the ideas later to explore. Just having the book summarized like that sparks my memory at a later date. I just started my zettelkasten and it’s been a joy so far. I think literature notes are my favorite aspect so far
Thank you so much for explaining this in simpler terms. A lot of other videos I've seen on the Antinet Zettelkasten method seemed to overcomplicate their explanation of this system which made it hard for my ADHD brain to understand and implement it. This way of rephrasing it makes it all the easier to digest.
Thank you for this clip on the different kind of notes in a zettlekasten. My mind was so rigidly confined by the concepts of fleeting/literature/permanent notes that I was really resistant to start building my cards
Luhmann never used the terms Fleeting/Literature/Permanent notes. He only used the terms Reformulation Notes, as in reformulating what you’ve read in your own words. And his notes on the back of Bibliography cards were brief Keyterms, Observations, and the start of Excerpts like “This is a quote…”
@@scottscheper do you find yourself rewriting index from time to time where a new phrase is alphabetically sequenced in between two other phrase? For example: inserting the word "backpack" in between background backyard
Hey brother, I love your videos. Really appreciate what you're doing. I searched through UA-cam to find someone who could explain the whole system. And you're the only one who could do that. Thank you. I want to make my own zettel, can you please suggest where I can get these boxed drawers. And what are they called specifically? I couldn't find like yours anywhere. Thanks again for all you're doing.
Thank you so much for your videos on analog Zettelkasten. Just starting out. I prefer analog like you. I find helpful your videos. I can understand it better, but still not completely. Sönke Ahrens book has been just released into the czech language which I speak and I can say, my head burned. Reading his book I didn't know how to do zettelkasten. He writes it's easy but I find it hard even though I think it's really simple method as I can see better in your life practise videos. He writes only in general, a lot of repeated theory which is interesting to read but what for when he gives almost zero know-how and on the Internet there is also hard to find any practical information on how to do original analog zettelkasten. I find helpful to understand zettelkasten and know how to do it seeing you looking into the Luhmann's digitalized archive in one of your first videos on this topic. Thank you for this idea. I have a feeling Ahrens wants a reader to get surprised and visit his webpage and buy his coaching session. I am surprised Ahrens is presenting his own theory of zettelkasten than original Luhmann's as you talk about it. It's true without Ahrens I wouldn't know about zettelkasten at all and I got excited to use its analog version. Still I'm not sure how to work with Bibliography notes. How is it with IDs on Bibliography notes? Have I noticed right you aren't writing ID numbers on your, I guess, "Scheperian" style of Bibliography notes (which I BTW find interesting)? Luhmann uses A, B, C... as we can see in his archive (niklas-luhmann-archiv.de/ ). I don't get fully a relation between Bibliography ("literature note") and Reflection note ("permanent note"). I think on Bibliography note should be written connections (links) on Reflection notes ("permanent notes") and vice versa. I haven't seen it on your notes or Luhmann's. Maybe, I am mistaken. I guess I find answers on my questions in your new coming videos. Your Antinet Zettelkasten workspace is freaking amazing and inspiring! 🔥
There’s a lot to unpack here but thank you for your kind words! Luhmann did not put ID’s on his Bibliography notes. They were alphabetical by Author Last Name (like the Bibliography at the end of a book). I kinda do a similar thing but I put the author last name in the top right.
@@scottscheper Thank you for your answer. I understand it now. It's simplier than I thought. I noticed it in Luhmann's archive just after reading your answer. I was confused before.
Thanks so much for this video! I have been experimenting with Obsidian in the past week ever since I read How to Take Smart Notes, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out the difference between literature and permanent notes. In theory, these concepts are distinct, but in practice, I couldn't really understand their differences. The three types you presented EOR are way more comprehensible and practical, IMO. So again, thanks a lot for this!
literature often are direct excerts, while permanent are your thoughts on both fleeting and literature and possibly info from other related sources... Permanent are what you get out of them... this is the part you would use to write your own articles, books ect.
Great insight into the cards and how your mind went through various stages before you got to the one at the end.. Also.. What was the book on the table with the yellow and blue cover called/by?
Hi Scott, I rarely comment on videos, but your work is really impressive. Thank you for spreading this concept to the people. Even though I have watched several of your videos about Zettelkasten, there are still things I get lost in and I couldn´t find the answers. I will be very grateful if you take some minute to answer my questions: 1. Do I really need to write and archive staging cards? I'm just starting out, but when I consume some content, I underline what I'm interested in and then make main cards straight from that. Occasionally I will add my thoughts here, but mostly they are the author's thoughts rephrased in my own words. 2. Do I necessarily have to add my own thoughts to the excerpts, or can they stand on their own as a main cards? 3. Should I aim to produce an output in the process? I don't plan to write books or articles, but I am interested in self-development and would like to archive important ideas (other people's as well as mine). My project is to become the best version of myself. 4. Can I also use Zettelkasten as a journaling tool? Something as a new branch full of reflections only? 5. How do I write step-by-step instructions in Zettelkasten? Are there any differencies? Thank You, Have a nice day 🙂
Excellent insights-looking forward to the book! Question -on your last card - the reflections notes you dont have any organizational notation in top right - does that come later? How do you “file it”. Finally, where do you get those awesome card boxes to store everything? =)
Yes that one I haven’t filed yet. I file it by asking myself what the idea is most similar to. What it’s most related to. What it’s most closely associated with. This process doesn’t have to be perfect either. What it reminds you of now may be different than what it reminds you of tomorrow. That’s a good thing. It’s raw material for breakthrough insights. I then navigate to that branch or stem of the antinet and review the cards surrounding it. This concept exercises the brains neuroassociative recall muscle, and then allows your knowledge to evolve and morph over time. It’s also been reported to help with human depression. By the time you’re ready to write, you find yourself surprised by all of the knowledge that has compounded around the one idea.
Do you think there’s room for a hybrid system? I love the concept of handwriting for neuro-imprinting (I’m a marketing geek, big Halbert fan), and I also love the instant access and space advantage of having my notes in the cloud, perhaps searchable via OCR (optical character recognition in my handwriting), etc. I’m in the Apple ecosystem (iMac/iPad/iPhone) and their latest update to the Notes app allows for linking and character recognition in photos of handwriting, as well as writing on the iPad via Apple Pencil. If I’m following you, you’ve got boxes of numbered notes (reflections, observations, excerpts)… a bibliography index, and a keyword index. Have I got that right?
Yes there's room for everyone to have their own implementations. Everyone is unique with a way of thinking that's effective for them. And that's a beautiful thing. I will say this though: you do not want to have search via text ocr stuff. Search is a disadvantage (as counter intuitive as that sounds). You want to be forced to create your own manual index. It enables you to stamp keyterms in your mind so that you can read and have that keyterm immediately able to be recalled. That said, study the other videos and the first letter on my website: scottscheper.com
Hi Scott. I like the way how you think about the Zettelkasten. EOR types resonates with me better. From your latest PDF on how to set up the antinet zettelkasten seems to imply the size for all the cards are 4x6. Do you recommend using 3x5 cards vs 4x6 cards?
Also this is kind of random but there's this former UA-camr (who quit UA-cam last year or so unfortunately) who's name is Joana Ceddia, who I honestly think could be your female doppelgänger. You two look and sound like you could be related. I just thought I would mention it because I found it hard to ignore in watching your videos haha.
Either: 1) place the card after the closest related idea already in the Antinet ZK, or 2) place in the closest category (based on academic disciplinary fields). For me, I place literary prose in the literature section of my Antinet. Withing Arts and Humanity trunk(1000). The number of mine is 1332 (arbitrary).
Hi Scott, I would like to know more about how you distinguish excerpt notes and observation notes. I have watched several times still having a hard time penetrating the essential differences. Thank you for this wonderful video.
Excerpt Notes = notes you copy down by hand usually word-for-word. But you can also do a close summary in your own words. The purpose of doing this centers on writing down quotes that are difficult to understand. By writing them out by hand you can slow down and break it apart and understand it better. You can also use excerpt notes for adding footnote support to a point you’re trying to make. An “Observation Note” is your own brief observation about the concept. Such as what it reminds you of, whether or not you agree with it, etc. it’s a very very brief version of a Reflection note essentially. Should only be 1-3 sentences. Note: I’m still playing with the terminology and working on simplifying things. Your feedback that it’s confusing to delineate is helpful. Thanks!
Very useful way of reframing the types of notes. It definitely gives a more concrete feeling to them. I think, noentheless, that you confused Ahrens's distinctions a bit - they are, in my view, very similar. I'd say Ahrens's Literature notes include both (very selective) excerpts and condensed reformulations of the main ideas of the text that are of interest to you. Fleeting notes are like what you call observation notes. And permanent notes are, as you said, like reflection notes - and I'd say the name only emphasises it's difference with fleeting notes. I don't care much about the labels to be honest. My impression is that Ahrens's distinctions are made from the standpoint of someone learning to take notes more than from the standpoint of someone building a Zettelkasten (if that makes sense) - althought many of us are interested in both simultaneously
I have tried doing the Bibliography notes and it's working alright, but I also wanted to try out the method you are showing around here in 19:30 of directly creating the main note. My question is how do you cite the source in your main note in this case? You create an initial number in the Antinet for the source and cascade down from that number, or create a number for the source in the main Antinet and then position the rest of the notes wherever they better belong with only the number of the source betting cited in the cards?
It's kinda hard to follow you but what I do is this: Create the card for the Main idea. In the top right put the Antinet address in the most important category. In the bottom of the note, place a bibliography reference using Zotero. Zotero has a tag feature. I tag mine: r.AuthorName. (r. Stands for reference). In the bottom of the card it will say: r.Williams, p. 26.
Hi Scott, I enjoy watching your videos so much. I even reviewed them several times for better understanding. If possible, could you consider fix your camera in the future, I literally got motion sickness by very concentrating on your cards with this shaking frame.
I like the terms ... Excerpts / Observation and Reflections way more than Fleeting / Literature / Permanent. I can actually understand E.O.R. and what to do with those. Great video and will be watching repeatedly.
Thanks for watching. Yeah it’s scary to see how far people have run with Fleeting/Literature/Permanent notes when they’re not really representative of what Luhmann actually did.
Excerpts / Observation and Reflections make much more sense to me as all of them are permanent, yet I feel a strong urge to separate them. They serve different needs and have to be addressed differently.
Thank you for a clear explanation!
Very good stuff. You explained in detail with a clear logical and linear description, each topic moving seamlessly into the next. I enjoyed this video and this has been a video that caused me to stop what I was doing and pay attention as I was enthralled in your discussion, which I cannot remember which video on UA-cam has done this to me in years. I am much appreciative of you taking the time to discuss this
I like the literature card for a couple reasons. First, it gives me an outline of the book. Secondly, it allows me to either dig into each piece of info to form my thoughts on it or Cherry pick info from the book to create my thoughts on it. So if I get busy, I can simply file the literature note and come back to the ideas later to explore. Just having the book summarized like that sparks my memory at a later date.
I just started my zettelkasten and it’s been a joy so far. I think literature notes are my favorite aspect so far
Binging on your amazing videos, Scott. Thanks so much.
Thank you so much for explaining this in simpler terms. A lot of other videos I've seen on the Antinet Zettelkasten method seemed to overcomplicate their explanation of this system which made it hard for my ADHD brain to understand and implement it. This way of rephrasing it makes it all the easier to digest.
Thank you for this clip on the different kind of notes in a zettlekasten. My mind was so rigidly confined by the concepts of fleeting/literature/permanent notes that I was really resistant to start building my cards
Luhmann never used the terms Fleeting/Literature/Permanent notes. He only used the terms Reformulation Notes, as in reformulating what you’ve read in your own words. And his notes on the back of Bibliography cards were brief Keyterms, Observations, and the start of Excerpts like “This is a quote…”
@@scottscheper do you find yourself rewriting index from time to time where a new phrase is alphabetically sequenced in between two other phrase?
For example:
inserting the word "backpack" in between background backyard
Hey brother, I love your videos. Really appreciate what you're doing. I searched through UA-cam to find someone who could explain the whole system. And you're the only one who could do that. Thank you.
I want to make my own zettel, can you please suggest where I can get these boxed drawers. And what are they called specifically? I couldn't find like yours anywhere.
Thanks again for all you're doing.
👊👊🗃 Thanks. The cabinets are called Vaultz but sold out on Amazon. I'm contemplating getting custom wooden ones made for people.
Thank you so much for your videos on analog Zettelkasten. Just starting out. I prefer analog like you. I find helpful your videos. I can understand it better, but still not completely. Sönke Ahrens book has been just released into the czech language which I speak and I can say, my head burned. Reading his book I didn't know how to do zettelkasten. He writes it's easy but I find it hard even though I think it's really simple method as I can see better in your life practise videos. He writes only in general, a lot of repeated theory which is interesting to read but what for when he gives almost zero know-how and on the Internet there is also hard to find any practical information on how to do original analog zettelkasten. I find helpful to understand zettelkasten and know how to do it seeing you looking into the Luhmann's digitalized archive in one of your first videos on this topic. Thank you for this idea. I have a feeling Ahrens wants a reader to get surprised and visit his webpage and buy his coaching session. I am surprised Ahrens is presenting his own theory of zettelkasten than original Luhmann's as you talk about it. It's true without Ahrens I wouldn't know about zettelkasten at all and I got excited to use its analog version.
Still I'm not sure how to work with Bibliography notes. How is it with IDs on Bibliography notes? Have I noticed right you aren't writing ID numbers on your, I guess, "Scheperian" style of Bibliography notes (which I BTW find interesting)? Luhmann uses A, B, C... as we can see in his archive (niklas-luhmann-archiv.de/ ). I don't get fully a relation between Bibliography ("literature note") and Reflection note ("permanent note"). I think on Bibliography note should be written connections (links) on Reflection notes ("permanent notes") and vice versa. I haven't seen it on your notes or Luhmann's. Maybe, I am mistaken. I guess I find answers on my questions in your new coming videos. Your Antinet Zettelkasten workspace is freaking amazing and inspiring! 🔥
There’s a lot to unpack here but thank you for your kind words!
Luhmann did not put ID’s on his Bibliography notes. They were alphabetical by Author Last Name (like the Bibliography at the end of a book). I kinda do a similar thing but I put the author last name in the top right.
@@scottscheper Thank you for your answer. I understand it now. It's simplier than I thought. I noticed it in Luhmann's archive just after reading your answer. I was confused before.
Thanks so much for this video! I have been experimenting with Obsidian in the past week ever since I read How to Take Smart Notes, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out the difference between literature and permanent notes. In theory, these concepts are distinct, but in practice, I couldn't really understand their differences. The three types you presented EOR are way more comprehensible and practical, IMO. So again, thanks a lot for this!
literature often are direct excerts, while permanent are your thoughts on both fleeting and literature and possibly info from other related sources... Permanent are what you get out of them... this is the part you would use to write your own articles, books ect.
Great insight into the cards and how your mind went through various stages before you got to the one at the end.. Also.. What was the book on the table with the yellow and blue cover called/by?
Forgetting Machines
Hi Scott,
I rarely comment on videos, but your work is really impressive. Thank you for spreading this concept to the people. Even though I have watched several of your videos about Zettelkasten, there are still things I get lost in and I couldn´t find the answers. I will be very grateful if you take some minute to answer my questions:
1. Do I really need to write and archive staging cards? I'm just starting out, but when I consume some content, I underline what I'm interested in and then make main cards straight from that. Occasionally I will add my thoughts here, but mostly they are the author's thoughts rephrased in my own words.
2. Do I necessarily have to add my own thoughts to the excerpts, or can they stand on their own as a main cards?
3. Should I aim to produce an output in the process? I don't plan to write books or articles, but I am interested in self-development and would like to archive important ideas (other people's as well as mine). My project is to become the best version of myself.
4. Can I also use Zettelkasten as a journaling tool? Something as a new branch full of reflections only?
5. How do I write step-by-step instructions in Zettelkasten? Are there any differencies?
Thank You,
Have a nice day 🙂
www.scottscheper.com/antinet
Such great content. I am about to start my own antinet Zettelkasten. I am still a bit confused what my first atep should be 😂
Excellent insights-looking forward to the book! Question -on your last card - the reflections notes you dont have any organizational notation in top right - does that come later? How do you “file it”. Finally, where do you get those awesome card boxes to store everything? =)
Yes that one I haven’t filed yet. I file it by asking myself what the idea is most similar to. What it’s most related to. What it’s most closely associated with. This process doesn’t have to be perfect either. What it reminds you of now may be different than what it reminds you of tomorrow. That’s a good thing. It’s raw material for breakthrough insights. I then navigate to that branch or stem of the antinet and review the cards surrounding it. This concept exercises the brains neuroassociative recall muscle, and then allows your knowledge to evolve and morph over time. It’s also been reported to help with human depression. By the time you’re ready to write, you find yourself surprised by all of the knowledge that has compounded around the one idea.
I never really like jotting in a notebook because then thats another thing i have to format I usually just go straight to card
Do you think there’s room for a hybrid system? I love the concept of handwriting for neuro-imprinting (I’m a marketing geek, big Halbert fan), and I also love the instant access and space advantage of having my notes in the cloud, perhaps searchable via OCR (optical character recognition in my handwriting), etc.
I’m in the Apple ecosystem (iMac/iPad/iPhone) and their latest update to the Notes app allows for linking and character recognition in photos of handwriting, as well as writing on the iPad via Apple Pencil.
If I’m following you, you’ve got boxes of numbered notes (reflections, observations, excerpts)… a bibliography index, and a keyword index.
Have I got that right?
Yes there's room for everyone to have their own implementations. Everyone is unique with a way of thinking that's effective for them. And that's a beautiful thing.
I will say this though: you do not want to have search via text ocr stuff. Search is a disadvantage (as counter intuitive as that sounds). You want to be forced to create your own manual index. It enables you to stamp keyterms in your mind so that you can read and have that keyterm immediately able to be recalled.
That said, study the other videos and the first letter on my website: scottscheper.com
Hi Scott. I like the way how you think about the Zettelkasten. EOR types resonates with me better. From your latest PDF on how to set up the antinet zettelkasten seems to imply the size for all the cards are 4x6. Do you recommend using 3x5 cards vs 4x6 cards?
Use 3x5” for Excerpts and Observation notes. 4x6” for Reflection notes
Also this is kind of random but there's this former UA-camr (who quit UA-cam last year or so unfortunately) who's name is Joana Ceddia, who I honestly think could be your female doppelgänger. You two look and sound like you could be related. I just thought I would mention it because I found it hard to ignore in watching your videos haha.
Great video!!! Would love to have a better view into your index to understand how it works :D
Love your videos Scott. Question: how you you record/file examples of phrasing or prose?
Either: 1) place the card after the closest related idea already in the Antinet ZK, or 2) place in the closest category (based on academic disciplinary fields). For me, I place literary prose in the literature section of my Antinet. Withing Arts and Humanity trunk(1000). The number of mine is 1332 (arbitrary).
Very helpful, thank you.
Really interesting concept. Thanks a lot for explanation.
Please can you write down the title of the book? I mean Yeo`s book, please. Thank you.
Forgetting Machines. It’s a compilation by Brill publishing.
Hi Scott, I would like to know more about how you distinguish excerpt notes and observation notes. I have watched several times still having a hard time penetrating the essential differences. Thank you for this wonderful video.
Excerpt Notes = notes you copy down by hand usually word-for-word. But you can also do a close summary in your own words. The purpose of doing this centers on writing down quotes that are difficult to understand. By writing them out by hand you can slow down and break it apart and understand it better.
You can also use excerpt notes for adding footnote support to a point you’re trying to make.
An “Observation Note” is your own brief observation about the concept. Such as what it reminds you of, whether or not you agree with it, etc. it’s a very very brief version of a Reflection note essentially. Should only be 1-3 sentences.
Note: I’m still playing with the terminology and working on simplifying things. Your feedback that it’s confusing to delineate is helpful. Thanks!
@@scottscheper Thank you for the additional explanation on the observation note. Really helpful!
Are all of these notes filed in the antinet?
@@vincentincognoli8470 yes
I also appreciate your excellent clarification between Excerpt Notes and Observation Notes. I look forward to reading your book.
Very useful way of reframing the types of notes. It definitely gives a more concrete feeling to them. I think, noentheless, that you confused Ahrens's distinctions a bit - they are, in my view, very similar. I'd say Ahrens's Literature notes include both (very selective) excerpts and condensed reformulations of the main ideas of the text that are of interest to you. Fleeting notes are like what you call observation notes. And permanent notes are, as you said, like reflection notes - and I'd say the name only emphasises it's difference with fleeting notes. I don't care much about the labels to be honest. My impression is that Ahrens's distinctions are made from the standpoint of someone learning to take notes more than from the standpoint of someone building a Zettelkasten (if that makes sense) - althought many of us are interested in both simultaneously
Hy, Manuel! I'd say you just did a great reflection note in this comment.
I am an analoguer. Thanks for this.
I have tried doing the Bibliography notes and it's working alright, but I also wanted to try out the method you are showing around here in 19:30 of directly creating the main note. My question is how do you cite the source in your main note in this case? You create an initial number in the Antinet for the source and cascade down from that number, or create a number for the source in the main Antinet and then position the rest of the notes wherever they better belong with only the number of the source betting cited in the cards?
It's kinda hard to follow you but what I do is this:
Create the card for the Main idea. In the top right put the Antinet address in the most important category.
In the bottom of the note, place a bibliography reference using Zotero. Zotero has a tag feature. I tag mine: r.AuthorName. (r. Stands for reference). In the bottom of the card it will say: r.Williams, p. 26.
Hi Scott, I enjoy watching your videos so much. I even reviewed them several times for better understanding. If possible, could you consider fix your camera in the future, I literally got motion sickness by very concentrating on your cards with this shaking frame.
Haha yes it’s very low production quality right now. Will try to improve it over time.
Where can I find Nicolas's writings on his note taking system?
daily.scottscheper.com/zettelkasten/
Sometimes the examples stand clearly for the philosophy behind, so ...
Hello. Where did you get the file cabinets from? Are they 4x6 cards?
Amazon. Yes.
Let's call "excerpts" "fragments" instead (or selections).