Why I'm renaming this publication to "Consider the Ant"
I had a small realization this week that felt… oddly obvious once I saw it.
For a long time I’ve described my work using words like note-taking, PKM, or personal knowledge management.
But that word always bothered me a little.
Management?
That sounds like Notion databases, spreadsheets and filing cabinets. Not the thing my heart is actually drawn to.
Because when I look at the things I’ve been writing and sharing, they’re not really about managing information.
They’re about noticing something… and following the thought until it reveals a piece of wisdom.
A line from a poem.
A word in a quote.
A leaf catching the light.
A strange idea that won’t leave me alone.
Then asking:
What does this show me?
A revelation of the word philosopher
Recently I looked up the word philosopher.
Not the academic version. The original meaning.
Philo — lover
Sophia — wisdom
A philosopher is simply a lover of wisdom.
And suddenly something clicked.
That’s the thing I’ve been doing all along.
Not productivity.
Not systems.
Not tutorials.
Just noticing small things and following the idea trail.
Which, as it turns out, is a very old tradition.
Seneca wrote letters that started with something he noticed during the day.
Marcus Aurelius kept a notebook of reflections to help himself understand life.
Montaigne invented the essay simply by following thoughts wherever they led.
And Solomon wrote something beautiful in Proverbs:
I saw and took it to heart;
I looked and received instruction.
That line describes the entire practice.
See something.
Think about it.
Learn from it.
Write it down.
Two rabbits
That realization helped me see something else.
I’ve been chasing two rabbits.
One rabbit was note-taking tutorials and systems. The other rabbit was reflection and wisdom.
And if you chase two rabbits…you don’t catch either one.
So I’m making a shift.
The New Name
I’m renaming this publication.
The Idea Shepherd → Consider the Ant
The phrase comes from Proverbs:
'Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ' — Proverbs 6:6
I love that image.
Wisdom doesn’t only come from books or experts.
Sometimes it comes from an ant. Or a leaf. Or a conversation with a friend. Or a strange sentence that won’t leave you alone.
Consider the Ant is about cultivating a life that pays attention.
A life that notices.
A life that follows small observations until they reveal something true.
What This Means Going Forward
The heart of this space will stay the same in many ways, but the focus will become simpler.
Instead of teaching note-taking systems, I’ll mostly be sharing reflections that begin like this:
Here’s something I noticed.
Here’s what it showed me.
Short essays. Observations. Idea trails.
Less explaining. More thinking out loud. A bit like listening to someone think on paper.
Where Ember Fits
Ember fits this direction perfectly.
It’s not really a productivity tool. It’s a thinking companion.
A place to pause for a few minutes each day, reflect on a quote or idea, and sharpen your thinking.
In other words:
A small daily practice for philosophers in the making.
For lovers of wisdom.
If you’re someone who enjoys noticing small things and asking what does this mean?
If you enjoy following idea trails.
If you want to cultivate a deeper thinking life…
You’re exactly who this space is for.
And I’m really glad you’re here.
More soon.
Greg
P.S.
The new name might sound a little strange at first.
But I like strange.
Consider the Ant is a reminder that wisdom can hide in the smallest places… if we’re paying attention.
So simple but yet so profound. I love this direction.