Pile of Indexcards

"Review the past, discover new knowledge"

ref. : Cunfucius, The Analects, Translation by Hawk
ref. : Shibusawa Eiichi, Commentary on the Analects, 2004.
ref. : Beautiful calligraphy by flickr user Kanko*

Cunfucius (in Japanese, Koushi) is great chinese philosopher in 2,500 years ago. This quote is one of his famous superb in "The Analects". There are many interpritation for the original golden words seen in the picture. For example, worship own ancestors, warm up old friendship, learn from history, etc. (Shibusawa, 2004). Here, I interpret and translate it according to my experience on indexcard.

ref. : Comment by David
ref. : Where to get Moleskine Memo Pockets?

David Lainer kindly gives some more information about Moleskine.

"Here are some other sites to purchase Moleskines, and related products:

• http://www.moleskines.com/

• http://www.moleskine.co.uk/

• http://www.moleskineus.com/ "
  

"... Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Ref. : Stanford University Commencement address by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,
delivered on June 12, 2005.

For me, the indexcards I write day by day is something like the "dots" that Jobs says.

"The most difficult part of writing is the start point. An inertia of writing is huge."

ref. : Noguchi Yukio, Cho Seirihou, p. 177,
translation by Hawk

Moving from 0 to 1 takes much effort than 1 to 2. Noguchi used a metaphor of "inertia" in physics to express the difficulty of the start writing.

The practice of writing down thoughts and facts for the purpose of holding them fast and preventing their escape into the dim region of forgetfulness, has been much resorted to by thoughtful and studious men. Lord Bacon left behind him many manuscripts entitled “Sudden thoughts set down for use.” Erskine made great extracts from Burke; and Eldon copied Coke upon Littleton twice over with his own hand, so that the book became, as it were, part of his own mind. The late Dr. Pye Smith, when apprenticed to his father as a bookbinder, was accustomed to make copious memoranda of all the books he read, with extracts and criticisms. This indomitable industry in collecting materials distinguished him through life, his biographer describing him as “always at work, always in advance, always accumulating.” These note-books afterwards proved, like Richter’s “quarries,” the great storehouse from which he drew his illustrations.

source : Self Help, by Samuel Smiles, (1900?)
(digital text at Project Gutenberg)

"If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny

Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence"

Ref. : Lyric of 'Return to Inoccence' by Enigma @ Sing365.com

This is a lyric of my favorite song 'Return to innocence' by Enigma.

Notice that there are only two kind of job : you want to do, or you must do. If you feel you want to do something, you are happy. Like when you are working on your hobby. If you must do something, on the other hand, you feel like torture.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Ref. : Stanford University Commencement address by Steve Jobs,
CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios,
delivered on June 12, 2005.

This is quite important when you write indexcard. Listen and pick up your inner voices, write them down on the indexcards. Any ideas you have in your brain, mind, heart. You don't need hesitate at all.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, People may Accuse you of Selfish, Ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be Honest and Frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

Ref. : Mother Teresa @ Wikiquote

ref : 2006.09.03 16:21 Turning off filter in a brain

Yoro Takeshi, Japanese anatomist, also suggested existence of a "filter" in a human brain, in his book "バカの壁 (Baka no Kabe = wall of fool)". His explanation is expressed in a simple equation.

y = a x

where "x" is input from nerves (e.g. eyes), "y" is input to brain, and "a" is the filter ("wall of fool" in his expression). If a = 0, i.e. power of the filter is maximum, then input from the eyes won't go to brain at all. Because any number multiplied by zero equal zero even though the number is large. On the other hand, if one can reduce power of the filter (a >> 0) then input to the brain increases.

He pointed out losing curiosity and interest increase power of the filter.

Book : 養老孟司, バカの壁, 2003 (in Japanese)
Wikipedia : 養老孟司 (in Japanese)

in Movie : "High Fidelity", Stephen Frears, 2000 (IMDb).

(Rob starts rearrangement of his record collection when he break up with his girlfriend...)

Dick: It guess it looks as if you're reorganizing your records. What is this though? Chronological?
Rob: No...
Dick: Not alphabetical...
Rob: Nope.
Dick: What?
Rob: Autobiographical.
Dick: No fuckin' way...
Rob: Yep. I can tell you how I got from Deep Purple to Howling Wolf in just 25 moves.
Dick: Oh, my god...
Rob: And, if I want to find the song "Landslide," by Fleetwood Mac, I have to remember that I bought it for someone in the fall of 1983 pile, but didn't give it to them for personal reasons.
Dick: That sounds...
Rob: Comforting?
Dick: Yes.
Rob: It is...

Quote from : Wikiquote, "High Fidelity"

in Movie : "Pi", Darren Aronofsky, 1998 (IMDb).

(Maximillian Cohen is mathematician. He made the following assumption during his quest for a pattern within stock market...)

1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
   
2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers.
   
3. If you graph the numbers of any system, patterns emerge.
   
4. Therefore, there are patterns everywhere in nature.
   

source : Aronofsky.Net (director's official web site)

Ref. : In my blog 'Mathematical approach for daily problem'

Professor of mathematics in Stanford University.

He worked on a great variety of mathematical topics, including series, number theory, combinatorics, and probability. In his later days, he spent considerable effort on trying to characterize the general methods that people use to solve problems, and to describe how problem-solving should be taught and learned (source : Wikipedia, George Pólya). In his book "How to solve it", he gave general strategy to solve given mathematical problem.

Personally, I call him as 'Pólya Sensei (Dear Teacher Pólya)' in my mind, though I have never met him.

Book : How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method,
new ed., 2004 (Japanese version is here).

In mathematics, solving problem become easier if one follows a certain strategy. George Pólya showed such general strategy in his book “How to Solve It”.

His strategy is especially useful when one must solve a problem which answer is unknown yet. It is like a compass in a deep dark forest.

Although his strategy is originally for mathematical problem, it can be applied for problems in our daily life. Because we sometimes don't know exact answer. In his strategy, following points are quite useful.

• Understand the problem : Ask yourself 'What are the unknowns? What are the given quantities? What are the given conditions?'
  
• Draw a diagram : Picture, graph, mind map. Understand the problem visually.
  
• Find similar problem : You may experience similar problem before. Most of time you don't need to start from zero.
  
• Solve related problem : If you can't solve the problem, try to solve related problem.
  
• Verify your answer : To increase reliability of your answer. Especially important when you don't know exact answer.
  

ref : G. Polya and “How to Solve It!" (PDF file at Ohio State University)

• Interest : Be genuinely interested in other people
  
• Smile :
  
• Name : Remember and use people's names
  
• Listen : Encourage others to talk about themselves and listen to them
  
• Interest : Discuss what the other person is interested in
  
• Praise : Make the other person feel important
  

Source : Dale Carnegie, How to win friends and influence people,
in Japanese, new ed., 1999 (photo @ flickr).
(English version quote from Wikipedia)

To remember 'SLIP IN to ones heart'.

Ref. : In my blog 'PEACE Method : Five steps to solve Problem'

Professor of philosophy at The City College of New York.

A philosophy has long history since ancient Greek, time of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The word 'Philosophy' itself sounds me something difficult. Prof. Marinoff, however, applied it to solve a problem in our daily life. His 'PEACE' method is easy to remember. It is practical, useful and helpful.

Book : Plato, not Prozac! - Applying eternal wisdom to everyday problem
Website : Lou Marinoff's official web site

1. Problem
   
2. Emotion
   
3. Analysis
   
4. Contemplation
   
5. Equilibrium
   

Source : Lou Marinoff, Plato, not prozac!, 2002.

The Emotion always comes just after problem happens. You may worry or be anxious about the Problem. But it is natural for everybody. To solve problem, what is important is don't stop at the Emotion and go to third step, Analysis, and further.

Upset or fun ; it depends on our mind. Do not bother with trifles. Rather, let's make something productive.

Source : Carnegie, 1999b (@flickr).

Do what you love, such as internet surfing, writing blog, watching DVD, reading book, anything your favorite things, not in midnight, but in early morning.

source : シゴタノ (in Japanese)

Understand 'I understand' : understood
Don't understand 'I understand' : not understood
Understand 'I don't understand' : understood
Don't understand 'I don't understand' : not understood

Anonymous

• David Allen, Getting Things Done, 2001.
  
• Jazzmasterson, Getting Things Done with Index Cards, photoset @ Flickr, 2004.
  
• Jazzmasterson, Getting Things Done with Indexcards 2.0, photoset @ Flickr, 2005.
  
• Jazzmasterson, External Memory, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
  
• Rewl, Emory's Hipster PDA, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
  
• Dave Gray, Index cards, photoset @ Flickr, 2006.
  
• Umesao Tadao, Chiteki Seisan no Gijyutu, Japanese ed., 1969.
  
• Watanabe Shoichi, Chiteki Seitatsu no Houhou, Japanese ed., 1976.
  
• Kawakita Jiro, Hassouhou, Japanese ed., 1967.
  
• Itasaka Gen, Kangaeru Gijyutsu Kaku Gijyutu, Japanese ed., 1973.
  
• Noguchi Yukio, Chou Seiri hou, Japanese ed., 1993.
  
• Special Thanks to Thorsten von Plotho-Kettner for technical support
  

Also, a discussion about indexcard with Jazzmasterson, Dave Gray, Edward Vielmetti, vaXzine (Jamie Parks), and RJStew is helpful for me. Thanks a lot

Revised : 2006.11.26 additional references

渡部昇一 (Watanabe Shoichi, 1930-)

One of great leader of enlightenment in Japan. He has written nearly 400 books spans from English rhetoric (his major), Japanese history, culture, politics to enlightenment, intellectual life, lifehacks (though he never use this word).

Here is a list of his books in Amazon.co.jp.

梅棹忠夫 (Umesao Tadao, 1920-)

He introduced his method of organizing flood of information using B6 indexcard in his book "知的生産の技術 (Chiteki Seisan no Gijyutu, The Art of Intellectual Productivity, 1969)". After three decade, his book is still useful and regarded as bible among researcher and businessman.

Ex-professor of ecology and ethnology in Kyoto University.