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my note-taking system

Dec 21, 20245 min read

202109040923

My Note-Taking System

First, I want to clarify that my system is not Zettelkasten. I employ some principles from it, but my notes are not structured, referenced, and IDed in the manner described by Niklas Luhmann.

Why have I mentioned Zettelkasten? It’s because it has been immensely hyped over the past five years. I started reassembling my notes after reading How to Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens. Over time, my system has absorbed some best practices from genuine Zettelkasten and also evolved according to my needs and my understanding of knowledge management.

  • If taking four types of notes: fleeting, literature, permanent, and project notes, seems difficult or not useful in the classroom environment, there are at least several other types of note-taking processes.

  • A small idea that demands explanation: when talking about note-taking and reading, I’ve been experimenting with the idea of decomposition.

    • This is only one side of the coin and a big concept. It’s actually not so much about decomposition as it is about the deconstruction of someone else’s wisdom.
    • It means that it is followed by reconstruction.
      • And this leads to the writing of the note. Maybe that’s how I should start the book about note-taking.
      • That it is not so much about writing something but about reconstructing ideas in a new setting, which eventually leads to the growth of expertise.

Comment

I’ve been toying with the idea of a reading workshop. The more I play with the concept, the more I realize that we must start with decomposition ^dc5919, then move to superficial reading.

  • The statement above is false. I checked the hypothesis. It proved to be wrong, or I don’t know how to improve on it.

  • Be passionate about your notes.

Ideas I Am Currently Mulling Over

  • What if, instead of making one big note with all ideas from the book, we break them into chunks of ideas?
    • It bothers me because the backlinks for such a note are messy.
    • It’s difficult to navigate, to understand what leads where, and maybe to find a pattern. Or… I just need to try it and see if I can find what I need. Like opening any note from Dettmer and seeing what is linked to it.
  • DONE! So far, a couple of examples among others are below:
  • What have I actually achieved by this approach?
    • I can now collect ideas and manipulate them better.
      • Organize them into an emerging domain and sphere of interest.
      • And see how my thinking is developing by observing the arrow.
  • I’ve also improved the tail section of my note template by adding the ontological section with child, source, friend, next.
    • Though I don’t use β€œfriend” much, I can change it into something like counter-argumentation, or an opposing view.

Misc Ideas

  • Smart notes can’t substitute the necessity of being smart.
    • That’s the reason why I rewrite notes all the time by hand.
    • To work with the ideas on a deeper level.

Splitting up the context of the note

  • Frequently, I’ve encountered questions from novices in note-taking about separating the contexts of home and work.
    • Throughout my entire experience with note-taking, I’ve opposed this ideaβ€”not because it’s inherently flawed, but because it’s downright detrimental to effective thinking and working.
    • You see, the majority of people don’t understand this because they are too preoccupied with categorizing knowledge when they should be engaging in the creation of knowledge.
    • In their attempt to keep themselves even busier, they devise systems of tags and folders, which they believe will β€œassist” them in compartmentalizing contexts.
  • Some go even further, implementing more radical divisions by creating separate vaults for their ideasβ€”personal and professional.
    • The thing is, folders, tags, and vaults are merely the visible tip of the iceberg. We observe how it works for someone else and mistakenly conclude that it will work for us as well.
    • And this is where the error lies. The true process of thinking occurs beneath the surface, below the iceberg’s tip, out of sight. Believe me, there is no room for the tidiness and order we assume folders, tags, and vaults will provide.
    • If anyone establishes a system that fragments contexts in the domain of thinking, it’s comparable to building walls that impede rather than enhance creativity.
  • Thinking should not be confined to a single context; it must be as expansive as we can allow it to be without losing focus on the objective we initially set out to contemplate.
    • Don’t build wallsβ€”create a network of roads.

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