<blockquote>
<p>It has become a passion of many people to create the maximum number of notes, organize and interconnect them to the maximum degree.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Apart from the beginning, there is a key area within the NHS link you provided.</p>
<p>At the beginning, it states that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them <strong>in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You said the notes are arranged and interconnected.</p>
<p>The NHS page also says:</p>
<blockquote>
<h2>What's the difference between hoarding and collecting?</h2>
<p>Many people collect items such as books or stamps, and this is not considered a problem. The difference between a &quot;hoard&quot; and a &quot;collection&quot; is how these items are organised.</p>
<p>A collection is usually well ordered, and the items are easily accessible. A hoard is usually very disorganised, takes up a lot of room and the items are largely inaccessible.</p>
<p>For example, someone who collects newspaper reviews may cut out the reviews they want and organise them in a catalogue or scrapbook. Someone who hoards may keep large stacks of newspapers that clutter their entire house and mean it's not actually possible to read any of the reviews they wanted to keep.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What you have described is a collection of notes, organised and linked up as much as possible. That is not hoarding as described by the NHS.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-04T22:22:04.977Z
Your answer seems logically right... but I feel a large sense of dissatisfaction from reading it :/
Brian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-04T22:25:28.860Z
What gives you dissatisfaction? What is it that makes you think the note-taking is a form of hoarding disorder? Why do you feel it is not information collecting?
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-04T22:46:23.047Z
The behaviours seem very analogous. Similar to how a hoarder may buy or collect, an obessesed note taker may absorb and search information they don't directly require. Also analogous to hoarding, it becomes difficult to find information needed  as the quantity of information is increased.
Brian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-07T09:50:49.817Z
@TrystwithFreedom A [related news story](https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-and-heinrich-newly-declassified-documents-reveal-previously-secret-cia-bulk-collection-problems-with-cia-handling-of-americans-information). I'd like to se anyone try to [diagnose at a distance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater_rule) the CIA.
Jiminy Cricket.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-04T22:19:56.767Z
2023-04-04T22:19:56.767Z
Chris Rogers
<p>In recent years, note taking apps such as ever note, obsidian, and such have gained immense popularties. It has become a passion of many people to create the maximum number of notes, organize and interconnect them to the maximum degree.</p>
<p>However, if one looks at this from an outside prespective, then it seems as a form of <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/hoarding-disorder/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hoarding</a>. I had before asked this question <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NoteTaking/comments/11t8wks/is_note_taking_apps_like_obsidian_leading_to/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">on reddit</a> with some help input, but I didn't feel I got a satisfactory input.</p>
<p>What does the science say?</p>
<p><a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/26760/why-does-journaling-seem-to-reduce-stress">related</a></p>

<cognitive-psychology>
Is digital notetaking a variation of hoarding disorder?
Brian
# Is digital notetaking a variation of hoarding disorder?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-04)

In recent years, note taking apps such as ever note, obsidian, and such have gained immense popularties. It has become a passion of many people to create the maximum number of notes, organize and interconnect them to the maximum degree.

However, if one looks at this from an outside prespective, then it seems as a form of [hoarding](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/hoarding-disorder/). I had before asked this question [on reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoteTaking/comments/11t8wks/is_note_taking_apps_like_obsidian_leading_to/) with some help input, but I didn't feel I got a satisfactory input.

What does the science say?

[related](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/26760/why-does-journaling-seem-to-reduce-stress)

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-04-04. Score: 3

> It has become a passion of many people to create the maximum number of notes, organize and interconnect them to the maximum degree.

Apart from the beginning, there is a key area within the NHS link you provided.

At the beginning, it states that:

> A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them **in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter**.

You said the notes are arranged and interconnected.

The NHS page also says:

> ## What's the difference between hoarding and collecting?
>
> Many people collect items such as books or stamps, and this is not considered a problem. The difference between a "hoard" and a "collection" is how these items are organised.
>
> A collection is usually well ordered, and the items are easily accessible. A hoard is usually very disorganised, takes up a lot of room and the items are largely inaccessible.
>
> For example, someone who collects newspaper reviews may cut out the reviews they want and organise them in a catalogue or scrapbook. Someone who hoards may keep large stacks of newspapers that clutter their entire house and mean it's not actually possible to read any of the reviews they wanted to keep.

What you have described is a collection of notes, organised and linked up as much as possible. That is not hoarding as described by the NHS.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Your answer seems logically right... but I feel a large sense of dissatisfaction from reading it :/  
> **username_1**: What gives you dissatisfaction? What is it that makes you think the note-taking is a form of hoarding disorder? Why do you feel it is not information collecting?  
> **username_0**: The behaviours seem very analogous. Similar to how a hoarder may buy or collect, an obessesed note taker may absorb and search information they don't directly require. Also analogous to hoarding, it becomes difficult to find information needed  as the quantity of information is increased.  
> **username_2**: @TrystwithFreedom A [related news story](https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-and-heinrich-newly-declassified-documents-reveal-previously-secret-cia-bulk-collection-problems-with-cia-handling-of-americans-information). I'd like to se anyone try to [diagnose at a distance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater_rule) the CIA.  

---

