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Zettelkasten

Method Strategy · Note-taking & productivity apps · 17 mentions · 1 subreddit · discussed in r/ObsidianMD

Reddit take

Not enough linked mention summaries yet; the source excerpts below are the evidence.

Pros

  • Zettelkasten folder for long-term knowledge notes. Using bottom-up Zettelkasten approach.
  • Now, if you're working on your PhD, yes, Zettelkasten can be very useful because you're no longer learning new material but entering the conversation of your field. When I make notes today that are in my knowledge wheelhouse, I use Zette...
  • Zettelkasten boosts memory by making connections between ideas
  • Many of you say that Obsidian or tools like Zettelkasten have changed your life.
  • Personally, I find zettelkasten to be liberating, simple, and empowering. It suits my purposes for note taking and works with the way my brain works.

Cons

  • I would say that Johnny Decimal and Zettelkasten for that matter are both old systems that were helpful in a world without powerful systems like Obsidian. If used right you don’t need any of these organizational systems that limit you an...
  • The idea of Zettelkasten/most Obsidian use cases is to create a bottom-up structure but if I am constantly searching for/linking notes than the method itself is flawed.
  • When you're in learning mode, you don't know what's important and what's not. You don't know how things connect. What is an "atomic" note when you don't know where to start or finish that note to capture its essence? ... students don't k...
  • With ZK I felt like im spending more time on creating multiple files (fleeting, literature and permanent) - So Ive modified it a bit and made my own way of ZK.
  • Don't waste your time with this nonsense. Zettelkasten is just fancy marketing. There are no magic wands.

Sentiment

6 positive (35%) · 6 mixed (35%) · 5 negative (29%)

Trust + time weighted score: +6% · raw score 6%

What redditors said (10 of 17)

I would say that Johnny Decimal and Zettelkasten for that matter are both old systems that were helpful in a world without powerful systems like Obsidian. If used right you don’t need any of these organizational systems that limit you and need you to deal with extra overhead.
negative · u/w****g · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Nov 7, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
Zettelkasten folder for long-term knowledge notes. Using bottom-up Zettelkasten approach.
positive · u/B****e · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Aug 26, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
The idea of Zettelkasten/most Obsidian use cases is to create a bottom-up structure but if I am constantly searching for/linking notes than the method itself is flawed.
mixed · u/N****5 · r/ObsidianMD · Feb 24, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
Now, if you're working on your PhD, yes, Zettelkasten can be very useful because you're no longer learning new material but entering the conversation of your field. When I make notes today that are in my knowledge wheelhouse, I use Zettelkasten.
positive · u/k****t · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
When you're in learning mode, you don't know what's important and what's not. You don't know how things connect. What is an "atomic" note when you don't know where to start or finish that note to capture its essence? ... students don't know enough to effectively apply Zettelkasten to learning in my experience.
mixed · u/k****t · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
With ZK I felt like im spending more time on creating multiple files (fleeting, literature and permanent) - So Ive modified it a bit and made my own way of ZK.
mixed · u/s****_ · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
Don't waste your time with this nonsense. Zettelkasten is just fancy marketing. There are no magic wands.
negative · u/R****t · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
Zettelkasten boosts memory by making connections between ideas
positive · u/r****k · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
From my point of view, Zettelkasten is not a study method. It is a production tool. If you're in study mode, or learning mode, forget Zettelkasten methods and focus on standard learning methods... Once you know your topic, and the studying/learning cycle is done, you can make new notes based on your learning... and that is when Zettelkasten can be useful.
mixed · u/k****t · r/ObsidianMD · comment · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗
I have used it before in physical format and ended up accumulating a lot of information without really learning it.
mixed · u/f****o · r/ObsidianMD · Feb 22, 2025 · open on Reddit ↗

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