---
title: Using Compass Questions to Connect New Notes
description: Ask North (origin), South (implications), West (similar), East (opposite) to create linked atomic notes that reveal patterns instead of isolated facts.
publishDate: 2026-02-16
canonical: https://www.mandalivia.com/obsidian/using-compass-questions-to-connect-new-notes/
---

## The Problem

Network notes are only useful if they're connected. But when you're capturing a new idea, it's easy to just dump it and move on—leaving it orphaned, never to be found again.

Worse: [collecting isn't knowing](/obsidian/collecting-is-not-the-same-as-knowing/). You can file 1000 notes and understand nothing. Feynman's lesson: knowing a bird's name doesn't tell you about the bird—you have to observe what it does.

How do you force yourself to make connections AND understanding in the moment?

## The Solution

Add directional "compass questions" to your note template. Every time you create a note, the template asks questions that guide you toward connections.

**The Four Directions:**

- **North** - Where does this come from? (history, domain, origin)
- **South** - Where does this lead? (implications, what it enables)
- **West** - What's similar? (related ideas, parallel domains)
- **East** - What's opposite? (disadvantages, tensions, what could improve it)

## How I Use It

My Obsidian template includes these questions. When I capture a new atomic note, I'm prompted to answer at least a few. Even rough answers create links.

Example from a recent note:
- **North**: Came from a Zettelkasten webinar
- **West**: Similar to Dewey Decimal (organizing by relationships)
- **East**: Opposite = just dump everything, no organization

That's 3 connections I wouldn't have made otherwise.

## The Balance

This is ONE strategy among many. The tension:
- Too little organization → notes pile up, you can't find anything
- Too much organization → you spend time filing instead of thinking

Compass questions sit in the middle—structured enough to create connections, loose enough to not feel like homework.

## Where This Came From

Got this from Fei-Ling Tseng's article on [the essence of the Zettelkasten method](https://feeei.substack.com/p/the-essence-of-the-zettelkasten-method). The compass questions help you "guide a conversation with yourself about what you know and don't know."

The key insight: it's not about storage, it's about **associative thinking**. Each answer becomes a potential starting point for another exploration.

## Related

- [Collecting Is Not the Same as Knowing](/obsidian/collecting-is-not-the-same-as-knowing/) - Why filing isn't understanding