On note-taking and note-making

A cugeta inseamna a cugeta mai departe. (Nicolae Iorga)

Translation (from Romanian): To think means to think further.

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Fragments from imaginary dialogues

“What is the difference between note-taking and note-making?”

“Note-taking means capturing ideas.

There are two types of note-taking: passive note-taking and active note-taking.

Passive note-taking means saving information as-is.

This can mean capturing ideas for later referencing.
Or it can mean capturing not only the ideas, but also their form, the way they are expressed, for later use as resources.

Active note-taking means transforming information as you’re saving it, ideally immediately. (Immediate Processing)

This means extracting the ideas and expressing them in your own words. (Paraphrasing)
It means engaging with the ideas, challenging them, and connecting them with other ideas.

Note-making means developing ideas.

It means thinking further.

As you’re integrating the ideas, you’re transforming them, bringing your own unique perspective, creating new ideas in the process.

The ultimate goal of note-making is creating evergreen notes – notes expressing timeless ides.”

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