Thomas Hobbes, the author of ‘Leviathan’, a classic of social contract theory and a work on the legitimacy of a huge state power. His sophisticated philosophical system, which laid the foundation for Western modern political philosophy, was carved not in front of a desk but on fields and mountain paths. And there was a very special companion in that work. 🦯
Hobbes enjoyed walking outdoors for a long time and immersing himself in deep contemplation rather than sitting at a desk and forcing himself to think. However, he realized that the brilliant philosophical metaphors and sentences that surged during his walk completely disappeared from his brain by the time he returned home. To prevent this, he made a special walking cane. He hung an inkwell on the head handle of the cane and always carried a bundle of blank paper and a pen in his pocket. Whenever a great sentence passed while walking in the field, he immediately stopped, dipped ink from his cane, and wrote it down on paper. Hobbes was able to capture flashing thoughts through this cane.
Today, BuildSelf covers the brain science mechanism of the ‘cane inkwell’ immediate memo method that Thomas Hobbes practiced to extend his thinking, and cognitive volatility prevention memo training for modern people.
Historical & Academic Evidence
This content is based on John Aubrey's 'Brief Lives' Biographical Records & 'Supersizing the Mind' Cognitive Theory.
1. Cognitive Externalization and Working Memory Extension
When the brain enters a relaxed walking state, the default mode network (DMN), which governs creative thinking, activates, and unexpected inspirations suddenly arise. However, because this flash stays in the short-term buffer of the brain’s ‘working memory’, it is highly unstable. Unless recorded immediately, it neurologically decays and is completely forgotten within 10-15 seconds.
The cane inkwell designed by Hobbes was the best means of ‘cognitive externalization’ to overcome this momentary working memory limit. Instead of forcing knowledge to stay in the brain’s finite memory area, immediately dumping ideas onto a physical tool (paper) through gross motor movements of the hand completely prevented cognitive overload in the frontal lobe cortex and allowed him to continuously advance to the next stage of thinking.
2. 3-Step Practical Routine for Modern Professionals
Setting Up Portable Externalization Devices at All Times
Set up a home screen shortcut widget to start voice recording or memo input in 1 second without unlocking your smartphone during walks, or carry a mini notebook and pen in your pocket.
Retrieving Memo Within 10 Seconds of Capturing Inspiration
Stop walking immediately when an idea flashes. Do not miss the 10-second golden time and quickly scribble the core keyword on the prepared tool or speak it out in a voice recording.
Transferring to Archive and Formal Refinement
When returning home or to work and sitting at your desk, review the temporary memos externalized during the walk. Refine incomplete words into complete sentences and transfer them to a formal proposal or permanent archive.
3. Opportunity Cost of Volatilized Ideas
Postponing with 'I'll organize it when I get home' underestimates the brain's natural forgetting mechanism. About 80% of thoughts that come up during walks are already overwritten by other sensory information in the hippocampus by the time you sit at your desk. You must externalize it into voice or word notes within 10 seconds of inspiration to preserve its value.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Was Thomas Hobbes's cane inkwell historically real? ▼
Yes, in the biography 'Brief Lives' written by John Aubrey, a contemporary biographer who was close to Hobbes, there is a detailed historical description that Hobbes attached a special inkwell to the end of his cane handle to write down inspirations while walking.
Which method is more effective: voice memo or typing memo? ▼
During walking, voice recording, which can capture text immediately while moving, is much safer and faster with less distraction. Typing requires delicate hand control and can cause attention interference, so voice memos are recommended while moving.
