On writing notes while reading
Originally posted as a Twitter thread.
Writing is, without dispute, the best facilitator for thinking, reading, learning, understanding and generating ideas we have.
Writing is important to have ideas sink in. Reading alone is not enough: thinking is. Thinking about what you read is what really allows you to understand it. And writing notes about what you read forces you to think about it.
It's important though, that you write about what you read in your own words. It's OK to highlight and even copy some quotes here and there, but you have to write down your own thoughts. Let the things you read pass through you and express them yourself.
When reading I'm trying to go through four rough phases:
- Highlight and annotate
- Take short notes of your thoughts on the spot
- Be selective
- Process/expand your annotations later into a more permanent medium
I'm still trying to conciliate this process with listening to audio books. Their main advantage is that you can listen to them precisely during times when you cannot highlight passages or take notes either (walking, driving, etc.)
This process is a work in progress. But I suspect I'm not getting as much from my reading as I should. Taking it for granted that I'll retain information by just reading/listening usually did not work out in the end. And it seems I'm not alone.