Fledgling Zettelkasten
Yesterday, when thinking about the Zettelkasten method, I realized that I had developed a fledgling Zettelkasten practice many years ago. Following are the details...
Marginal Notes in Books
When I was young (1970s), there were no personal computers, smart phones, etc. When I read a book, I would stop, consider an idea, and write concise notes in the margin of the book. The focus, effort and thought that went into these notes certainly qualifies them as complete zettels. Many of my old books are filled with such marginal notes (a classic was "7 Habits of Highly Successful People" by Steven R. Covey). Sometimes, one marginal note would refer to a previous marginal note on another page. When I reread a section of the book, I also reread and in some cases enhanced the marginal notes. A friend read one of these books when he was laid up in hospital. He said reading the marginal notes was just as interesting and thought-provoking as reading the original text. I may have stumbled on an early, fledgling version of a ZK without even realizing it (until this moment).
As Applied in the Bible Study App
This practice was extended when reading the Bible in an app called "Gospel Library". In this app, one can highlight text, add tags and/or notes to highlighted text, and make your own links to other verses of scripture. I have been the most diligent in applying this practice, and have accumulated about three thousand bits of highlighted text and over 700 attached notes, over a five year period. Again, the notes are written only after intense study and thought. I find the extension of the linking capability to not only other verses of scripture but also to other information in the app to be most helpful. So, in a way, this is an enhanced version of a fledgling Zettelkasten. It doesn't meet the full "specifications" for a Zettelkasten, but it is getting closer.
Just thought I'd share this "aha" moment. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
I've been thinking about whether there is value in integrating this scripture Zettelkasten into my main (external) Zettelkasten, and if so, how I would do it. Any suggestions?
Howdy, Stranger!