Nicholas Luhmann was an incredible man, remembered worldwide for his sociological projects. During his career, the German scientist published nearly 60 books and hundreds of articles. However, was Luhmann indeed a genius?

Luhmann's intellect was not extraordinary at all. In fact, Luhmann was a usual man, just like most people. However, he knew what smart work was. Having spent all his free time studying sociology, philosophy, and organizational theory, he knew exactly how to manage his notes. The systematic organization of small pieces of paper helped him to have easy access to his thoughts. He kept them in a Zettelkasten or slip-box.

Before Luhmann became a professor at the university, he was an ordinary office worker. It is worth noting that he was a rather keen researcher then. Later, Luhmann wrote an article that caught the attention of a German sociologist. This person suggested that Luhmann become a professor. But how could a person without proper education even dream of such a thing?

However, Luhmann did not give up and began to prepare, using his ability to organize notes, as well as taking appropriate courses. Finally, he completed his academic thesis in a year. After becoming a professor, Luhmann was asked, "What will your research project be?" Luhmann replied, "My project: theory of society. Duration: 30 years. Costs: zero." The work that Luhmann wrote, *The Society of Society*, is considered revolutionary.

All of this Luhmann achieved not with any secret tricks but with his slip-box. Using it was simple enough; partly because of that, people still distrust the method. After all, many of us have difficulty accepting that everything ingenious is simple. In order to learn how to use the slip-box, let's look at how it works.