German for “note box”, it is a knowledge management system popularized by 20th century sociologist Niklas Luhmmann. The system consisted of taking notes on individual note cards and organizing them in a physical organizational system. It serves as the basis of many analog and digital note-taking and PKM systems today.
When using a Zettlekasten (or any similar PKM system) you are generally operating in one of two states:
- Growth, accumulating knowledge and adding to the system
- Contribution, using the system to create something new to share with the world
You also run into the Explore vs. Exploit Dilemma; however, neither of these states are inherently better than the other, and oscillating between both states is an essential part of Knowledge Work. It is ideal to keep a general goal in mind while in the growth stage, though - as keeping an eye towards a desired output, no matter how vague, will help you choose the most appropriate topics of exploration.
Person Knowledge Management (PKM) Antinet Zettlekasten Obsidian The Anitnet Zettlekasten by Scott Scheper