Understanding links involves discovering relationships that already exist. Making links deliberately brings two or more ideas together.
This does not mean inventing false relationships. The facts must remain sound; what is created is the route between them.
A Link Salad is a clear example. Two facts may have existed independently until somebody notices that they share a birthday, location, name, object, visual resemblance or another point of contact.
A new conceptual route has been made.
Making links with COGS
COGS works as well for making links as for understanding them.
Suppose we begin with a Character. We can ask:
Who does this person connect to?
Then we deliberately change coordinate:
What objects are associated with them?
What geography is associated with them?
What dates are associated with them?
Each answer produces possible exits from the original subject.
Take Bruce Springsteen.
From the Character coordinate we might move to other musicians.
From Objects we might move through guitars, cars or particular albums.
From Geography we might move through New Jersey.
From Seconds we might move through his birthday or particular concert dates.
Each new node can become the starting point for another move.
Link-making is therefore not simply free association. It can be systematic: COGS provides four directions in which to search.