Obsidian: The Most Powerful Learning Technology in History?
Summary
TLDRThis video explores Obsidian, a powerful tool for enhancing creativity and thought processes by mimicking the way our brains link ideas. Inspired by the Zettelkasten method, Obsidian allows users to create a personal knowledge base, linking notes and ideas to foster new connections. The script provides a basic guide to getting started with Obsidian, emphasizing the importance of creating notes, establishing links, and using tags to build a web of interconnected thoughts, ultimately transforming the way one thinks and creates.
Takeaways
- 📚 Obsidian is a tool designed to enhance thinking and creativity by providing an electronic version of a historical note-taking technique.
- 💭 It is sometimes misunderstood as a simple note-taking app, but it is more accurately described as a 'thought linking' app that mimics the way our brains work.
- 📚 The script references Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Big Magic', suggesting that Obsidian can help uncover hidden creative treasures within us.
- 🔗 Obsidian allows for the creation of a personal knowledge base (PKB) by linking ideas and notes, similar to the Zettelkasten method used by prolific writers and thinkers.
- 📝 The Zettelkasten method is about connecting notes in a way that encourages the emergence of new ideas, which Obsidian facilitates effectively.
- 📚 The script mentions 'How to Take Smart Notes', a book that explains the Zettelkasten technique and its principles for successful writing.
- 💻 To get started with Obsidian, users need to download it from Obsidian.md, create a 'vault' for storing notes, and begin linking notes and using tags.
- 🔗 Linking notes in Obsidian is done by typing double open square brackets followed by the name of the file to link to, creating a web of interconnected ideas.
- 📁 The 'vault' in Obsidian is essentially a folder that houses all markdown files containing the user's notes.
- 🌐 Obsidian's power lies in its ability to create a personal wiki where all important thoughts and ideas from various projects are interconnected and accessible.
- 🚀 The script encourages users to start using Obsidian without getting caught up in researching the 'perfect' tool, emphasizing that Obsidian does everything needed to build a PKB.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is Obsidian, a tool that enhances thinking and creativity by providing an electronic version of a historical note-taking technique.
What does the speaker suggest about the complexity of Obsidian?
-The speaker suggests that although some people say Obsidian is complicated and offputting, it is actually not, and it has a fascinating story and capability.
Who is Elizabeth Gilbert, and what is her connection to the video's topic?
-Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of 'Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear.' She is mentioned in the video as she asks a question about bringing forth hidden treasures within oneself, which Obsidian can help uncover.
What is the Zettelkasten method, and how is it related to Obsidian?
-The Zettelkasten method is a note-taking technique used by many great thinkers and writers, where each note is an idea connected to other relevant notes. Obsidian is seen as a digital implementation of this method, mimicking the way our brains work.
Who is Nicholas Luhmann, and what is his significance in the context of the video?
-Nicholas Luhmann was a social scientist and prolific writer who attributed his high productivity to the Zettelkasten method. His approach is relevant to the video as it exemplifies the effectiveness of the method that Obsidian emulates.
What is a 'vault' in Obsidian, and why is it important?
-A 'vault' in Obsidian is essentially a folder where all your notes are stored. It is important because it houses all the markdown files that make up your personal knowledge base.
How does Obsidian facilitate the linking of notes?
-Obsidian facilitates the linking of notes by allowing users to create a link by typing double open square brackets followed by the name of the file they want to link to. If the file doesn't exist, clicking on the link will create it.
What role do tags play in Obsidian, and how are they used?
-Tags in Obsidian help combine notes into categories. Users type a hashtag followed by the tag they want to create. All notes with that tag are linked, and a note can have more than one tag.
Why is Obsidian described as a 'personal Wiki' or 'PKB'?
-Obsidian is described as a 'personal Wiki' or 'PKB' (Personal Knowledge Base) because it allows users to link all their important thoughts and ideas from various projects, making them accessible and interconnected like the worldwide web.
What is the documentary 'Hannah Fry's Magic Numbers' about, and where can it be found?
-The documentary 'Hannah Fry's Magic Numbers' is about the evolution of mathematics from its philosophical origins to its status as a universal language and the foundation for all of science. It can be found on Mellen TV, a platform offering a curated selection of documentaries.
What advice does the speaker give regarding the use of tools like Obsidian?
-The speaker advises against falling into the trap of spending hours researching the 'right' tool, as this can lead to wasted time. Instead, the focus should be on using a tool like Obsidian effectively to build a personal knowledge base.
Outlines
📚 Unveiling Obsidian: A Tool for Enhanced Creativity and Thought
The first paragraph introduces the video's focus on Obsidian, a versatile tool that can enhance one's thinking and creativity. It dispels the myth that Obsidian is complicated and instead highlights its roots in historical techniques used by great thinkers and writers. The script references Elizabeth Gilbert's 'Big Magic' and the concept of bringing forth personal treasures, which Obsidian can help uncover. It explains that Obsidian is more than a note-taking app; it's a thought-linking app that mimics the way our brains naturally connect ideas. The paragraph also introduces the Zettelkasten method, a note-taking technique attributed to writers like Nicholas Luhmann, and suggests that Obsidian is an excellent tool for implementing this method. The script ends by sharing the author's personal use of Obsidian to write the video script itself.
🔗 The Power of Linking in Obsidian: Building a Personal Knowledge Base
The second paragraph delves into the power of linking within Obsidian, likening it to the worldwide web, where ideas and notes can be interconnected to form a personal knowledge base (PKB). It contrasts the traditional method of note-taking and research, where ideas are often trapped within individual documents, with the interconnected web of thought that Obsidian facilitates. The paragraph emphasizes the transformative potential of Obsidian for the way one thinks and works, and it cautions against spending excessive time researching tools instead of using them. The script also mentions a documentary on Mellan TV called 'Hannah Fry's Magic Numbers,' which explores the evolution of mathematics, as an example of the diverse content available on the platform.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Obsidian
💡Zettelkästen
💡Personal Knowledge Base (PKB)
💡Markdown
💡Creativity
💡Linked Ideas
💡Vault
💡Plugins
💡Tags
💡Personal Wiki
Highlights
Obsidian is a tool designed to enhance thinking and creativity by providing an electronic version of a historical note-taking technique.
Obsidian is sometimes misunderstood as complicated, but the video aims to clarify its simplicity and utility.
Elizabeth Gilbert in 'Big Magic' connects courage with the ability to bring forth hidden creative treasures, a concept Obsidian supports.
Obsidian allows for the organization of thoughts in a manner similar to how the human brain naturally processes information.
The video introduces Nicholas Lumen, a prolific writer who attributed his success to the Zettelkasten method, which Obsidian emulates.
Zettelkasten is a note-taking method that links ideas, mimicking the brain's thought process and fostering new ideas.
The book 'How to Take Smart Notes' is recommended for further understanding of the Zettelkasten method and learning theory.
Obsidian is not just a note-taking app but a thought-linking app that encourages the emergence of new ideas.
The video script was written using Obsidian, demonstrating its practical application.
A 'vault' in Obsidian is a folder where all notes are stored, and it's the starting point for organizing thoughts.
Obsidian's interface is simple, allowing users to get started with creating notes and linking them easily.
Linking notes in Obsidian is done by typing double open square brackets followed by the file name, creating a direct connection between ideas.
Tags in Obsidian help categorize and combine notes, allowing for multi-faceted organization of thoughts.
Obsidian offers advanced features such as backlinks, search functionality, and markdown support for more complex note organization.
Plugins and templates in Obsidian can further customize the note-taking experience to suit individual needs.
Obsidian enables the creation of a personal knowledge base (PKB), a web of interconnected ideas that can transform thinking.
The video emphasizes the importance of starting with the basics in Obsidian and developing a personal system over time.
Obsidian prevents the loss of ideas by creating a linked system where thoughts from different projects can interconnect.
The video concludes by advising viewers not to fall into the trap of endless tool research, which can be a waste of time.
A documentary recommendation, 'Hannah Fry's Magic Numbers', is shared as a resource for further exploration of mathematical concepts.
Transcripts
in this video we're going to delve into
obsidium we're going to look at what it
is how it works and how it can enhance
your thinking and your creativity take a
look what do you think some people say
that it's very complicated which can be
offputting it's not though the story of
obsidian is a fascinating one it enables
you to have an electronic version of a
technique used by many of the great
thinkers and writers throughout history
get yourself comfortable while we dig
into obsidian in her book big magic
creative living beyond fear Elizabeth
Gilbert asks the question do you have
the courage to bring forth the treasures
that are hidden within you obsidian is a
tool that will help you uncover those
Treasures oh that's what I like about it
how do you think I don't mean at a
biological level I mean when you're
thinking about a subject or an event
what happens you probably have a series
of connected thoughts going through your
mind some are clustered tightly around a
particular topic others are related but
more distant and some of those thoughts
could be relevant to other subjects that
aren't currently the focus of your
attention obsidian is sometimes referred
to as a notetaking app which makes it
sound boring and understands what it's
capable of I see it more as a thought
linking app have you heard of Nicholas
lummen there's no reason why you should
unless you're a fan of zettle Casten
Nicholas Lumen was a social scientist
and a prolific writer he wrote 70 books
and almost 400 papers what subjects did
he write on well the according to
Wikipedia uh law economy politics art
religion ecology mass media and love he
attributed his huge capacity for writing
to the zetel Casten method and a lot of
other writers and thinkers have used
something similar Walter Benjamin Lee
nits Ronald Reagan this video is not
about Ronald Reagan or the zettle castan
method but now that I've mentioned it
I'll give you a brief overview because
it is very relevant to obsidian uh zetel
Casten is a notetaking method each note
is an idea a thought a piece of
information and each new note is
connected to other potentially relevant
notes but wait a minute that's how we
described thought processes earlier on
linked
ideas and zettle Casten is designed to
mimic the way our brains work
encouraging the emergence of new ideas
obsidian is fabulous for that if you
want to find out more about zetel Casten
there's a book there's always a book how
to take smart notes um this is uh split
into three sections the first section is
about zettle Casten I mean it's all
related to zettle Casten but the first
section explains the technique and then
the second section talks about the four
underlying principles and the third
section is the six six steps to
successful writing I thought sections
two and three were better than the first
section but those two sections talk
about learning or the theory of learning
and I like the book for that reason and
now to obsidian and by the way guess
which app I used to write the script for
this video yes obsidian to get it you go
to obsidian MD and you can download it
once you've downloaded and installed it
then open it up and you need to create a
vault now vault is essentially a folder
where all your notes are stored on the
first launch you'll be prompted to
create a new Vault choose a name and a
location on your computer for your Vault
and the Vault will house all your notes
but just just simple markdown files and
this is the obsidian interface I'm going
to show you the most basic setup get
used to that and then over time your way
of using it will emerge exactly what
will happen with your
ideas this is all you need to know to
get started control n command n on a Mac
opens a new note give the note a title
at the top of the note and that's also
the file name linking notes is Obsidian
strength you create a link by typing
double open square bracket and then the
name of the file that you want to link
to if that file hasn't already exist by
clicking on it you will create that file
and tags tags help you combine notes in
two categories type a hashtag and then
the tag that you want to create all
notes with that tag will be linked and
you can give a note more than one tag
and that's it that's all you need to
know to get you started there's so much
more you can create folders there are
back links showing you how many notes
link to the current node you can look at
how many outlinks there are in a
particular note you can search notes and
filter the results there are thousands
of plugins you can make templates for
frequently created notes you can
synchronize everything across multiple
devices and make your notes look better
by learning markdown all of this will
come but but to start with create a note
create links and use tags and then
develop your own system why does this
work imagine you're writing an essay you
do your research make notes write them
in a Word document you expand on your
ideas and everything goes in the word
document when you finish writing the
essay you save your notes close them and
then move on to the next project all of
those thoughts and ideas are trapped in
that document are not accessible for any
other project with each project you
create these research and note prisons
your work from previous projects cannot
link to new work it's kind of lost and
wasted the power of obsidian is that all
of your important thoughts and ideas
from projects are linked to other
important thoughts and ideas from other
projects it's like the worldwide web you
can follow links it's the web of your
brain your personal Wiki the proper name
for it is pkb personal knowledge base
it's powerful use it and is Obsidian the
best tool for this kind of thing
yes no yeah I don't know depending on
who you ask it's the best or there are
many apps that are better it's great or
it isn't the important point is this it
works and it does everything that you
need it to do to build your personal
knowledge base which could transform the
way you think and now you've watched
this video you know how to use it don't
fall into the Trap of spending hours
trying to research the right tool
because you'll waste your time worse
than that you'll waste your time under
the illusion that you're spending it
wisely oh before you go there's
something I want to share that I think
you'll like it's a documentary I found
on mellan TV called Hannah Fri magic
numbers it's a journey through the
evolution of maths from its
philosophical Origins to its status as a
universal language and the foundation
for all of science mellan TV is a
platform that's dedicated to bringing
you a curated selection of the finest
documentaries from around the world the
adree 4K content includes the drama of
History the thrill of scientific
discovery and the beauty of the natural
world click on the link in the
description to get a 30-day free trial
and watch Hannah Fry's magic numbers and
all the rest of mellan TV's extensive
collection of over 3,000 documentaries
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