The benefits of smart notes, digital knowledge gardens, and Zettelkasten

One of the key benefits is that bidirectional linking helps with learning new material in an interdisciplinary context, because it offers multiple points of entry.

Another benefit is that you are reminded of things you'd forgotten about. In this way, it's like looking over you bookshelves and being reminded of an approach that you'd not thought about in a way, but that suddenly synthesizes with something else you've been thinking about.

The idea of taking "smart notes" – especially building on Niklas Luhmann's Zettelkasten (box of index cards) – was given new life in the work of Sönke Ahrens Take Smart Notes — Sönke Ahrens.

A really good overview of the benefits of the Zettelkasten Method is by Oct 27th, 2020 by Sascha

Two very good explanation for how beneficial this can be – and how needed it is, can be found here:

Orbit by the amazing Andy Matuschak, also author of, "How can we develop transformative tools for thought?"
Timeful Texts