A system of personal knowledge management, which I call a “Second Brain,” is an indispensable part of any modern professional’s toolkit.

Because it is such a personal tool, it’s important to give it a name that evokes the special relationship you have with it. Here is a collection of alternative names for a Second Brain you can draw inspiration from, submitted in response to one of my tweets:

  • Zettelkasten
  • Exocortex/Exobrain
  • Extended mind/External brain
  • Digital twin
  • Augmented memory
  • Peripheral brain
  • Digital commonplace book
  • Mind palace
  • Networked knowledge system
  • Thought pot
  • Think tank
  • Pensieve (from Harry Potter)
  • Personal knowledge stack
  • Personal cloud
  • Synaptic journal
  • Ideaspace
  • Mirrormind
  • Field notes
  • Digitized memory
  • Personal knowledge system
  • Personal search engine
  • LMS (Life Management System)
  • Mindbase/Mindvault
  • Digital distillery
  • Metabrain
  • Imagination engine
  • Cognitive prosthetics
  • Memex
  • Streamcatcher
  • Knowledge graph
  • Mind sieve
  • Idea lab
  • Thought library
  • Searchable thought dumpster
  • Digital garden
  • Digital detritus
  • Alternate memory
  • Personal documentation
  • Compendium of self-knowledge
  • Self-documentation

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