# Obsidian Zettelkasten

**URL:** <https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999>\
**Category:** Knowledge management\
**Tags:** zettelkasten\
**Created:** [June 16, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999 "2020-06-16T19:12:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 29

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lizardmenfromspace](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/lizardmenfromspace/32/19233_2.png) [@lizardmenfromspace](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/lizardmenfromspace)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999/29 "2020-06-17T02:05:25Z")

</div>

**29 - Core Note Functions in Memory** - because note taking is a solution to memory, you can see the four functions of note taking (storing, sorting, selecting, and summarizing) happening in our brain’s system.

#### Storing

You start out the memory process by [storing](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999/53) new information through the process of [encoding](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Encoding_(memory)) and [storage](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Storage_(memory)). You turn information into a visual, auditory, or semantic format then it gets transferred into long-term memory.

#### Sorting

After it has been stored, the memory consolidates, which is akin to the sorting function of information management. Both are functions done to make storage more efficient and retrieval (search) easier (fact check needed/source).

#### Selecting

Once a memory has been integrated into long-term storage, you [retrieve](https://dictionary.apa.org/retrieval) it when you come across a stimulus that serves as a [retrieval cue](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999/199). In the same way the link serves as a retrieval cue for my notes on retrieval cues.

#### Summarizing

Overtime our memories re-consolidate, allowing us to forget unimportant details and [streamline](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999/40) the memory. People who have extremely good memory, such as [Solomon Shereshevsky](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Solomon_Shereshevsky) can easily memorize the contents of a story but struggle with “getting the gist” of it [(Myers 2018, pg 895)](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999/10).

---

_[View the full topic](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/obsidian-zettelkasten/1999)._