Deep processing activates learning in your Zettelkasten

What’s the point of writing notes if you don’t learn from them?

A few days ago, Greta Tena asked me in a comment how often it’s good to reread the notes in her Zettelkasten (you can read my full answer in spanish here). We kept talking in private and discovered that, in fact, what she was really looking for was a strategy to use her Zettelkasten as a tool to learn from the books she’s interested in.

The Zettelkasten method is ideal for learning. But unlike other methods, it only works if you go deep into what you want to learn.

When you write a note about an idea, you can do it either superficially or deeply.

• Copy-pasting an idea is a superficial capture.
• Rewriting the idea in your own words is a deeper processing.
• Fully developing the idea and connecting it with what you already know is a much deeper processing.

Processing requires effort, but that effort is what activates your learning. Every step you take to go deeper is a step that helps you integrate that knowledge into your mind. In other words: to go deep is to learn.

If you want to use the Zettelkasten method for learning:

• Prioritize deep processing over superficial processing.
• Integrate ideas right from the start — don’t leave it for the future.
• Block time in your schedule for processing sessions.

If this topic interests you, here are some recommended readings:

• Why reading a lot isn’t that important
• The Scam called “You don’t have to remember anything”
• The Collector’s Fallacy
• The Barbell Method of Reading
• Field Report #1: How I processed zone 2 training with my Zettelkasten

Two years ago, I processed the book Show Your Work. One of the ideas that struck me the most was the “myth of the lone genius.” I processed this idea thoroughly: I rewrote it in my own words, connected it with my view on creativity, and even flipped it around, transforming it into the “myth of the collaborative genius.”

That effort gave rise to several articles in Jardín de Gestalt, and above all, it profoundly changed how I organize my work and think about creativity. In short, I don’t need to reread those notes to remember them: those ideas are part of me.

The value is not in accumulating superficial notes, but in the effort of going deep into your ideas.

Best,
Fernando Nóbel

P.S.: Do you have more questions about the Zettelkasten method? I’ll read you in the comments :-)