Tools Change Cognition
Before Obsidian, my notes were linear — folders → subfolders → files. After Obsidian, knowledge became a network — every concept a node, connections forming links between them. This isn’t a tool change. It’s a mindset change.
The Power of Bidirectional Links
Traditional note links are unidirectional (“see also X”). Bidirectional links let every note know “who linked to me” — like every book listing “books that cite this book” on its last page. This design compels you to continuously discover hidden connections between knowledge.
The Deeper Logic of Tool Choices
What tool you choose reflects how you view knowledge. Folder structures assume knowledge is tree-like. Bidirectional links assume knowledge is network-like. Neither assumption is wrong, but they apply to different contexts.
This is also the deeper motivation behind Why I Started This Site — building a knowledge space where tools serve thinking. For practical steps, see Obsidian Getting Started Guide.