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Commonplace book

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A Commonplace Book is a technique that was popularized in the 16th century, particularly among scholars and intellectuals. It's a method for organizing and reflecting on one's thoughts, ideas, and knowledge.

Here's how it works:

  1. Gathering: Collect quotes, passages, or notes from various sources, such as books, articles, or conversations.
  2. Categorization: Organize the gathered material into categories, themes, or topics. This helps to identify patterns, connections, and relationships between ideas.
  3. Reflection: Reflect on the gathered material, making connections between ideas, and identifying key concepts, themes, or insights.
  4. Note-taking: Record the reflections, insights, and connections in a dedicated notebook or digital tool.
  5. Review and Revision: Regularly review and revise the commonplace book to refine ideas, update notes, and reflect on progress.

The Commonplace Book technique serves several purposes:

  1. [[Knowledge Management]]: It helps to organize and retain knowledge, making it easier to recall and apply.
  2. [[Critical Thinking]]: It fosters critical thinking by encouraging the analysis and connection of ideas.
  3. [[Creativity]]: It can stimulate creativity by exposing oneself to diverse perspectives and ideas.
  4. [[Personal Growth]]: It can aid personal growth by providing a reflective space for self-reflection and introspection.

In today's digital age, the Commonplace Book technique and practices have been to move to digital tools that also borrow ideas from [[Zettelkasten]] to organize content in bidirectional notes, tools like Obsidian, Roam, and others are helping users to create their [[Knowledge Databases]] and create beautiful Digital Gardens and I decide mine to be called "Commonplace Book" just because

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