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diff --git a/content/en/posts/take-ugly-notes-do-pretty-work.md b/content/en/posts/take-ugly-notes-do-pretty-work.md index b5957477..b9e47b6f 100644 --- a/content/en/posts/take-ugly-notes-do-pretty-work.md +++ b/content/en/posts/take-ugly-notes-do-pretty-work.md @@ -17,24 +17,54 @@ I used to be obsessed with taking pretty notes. Here's my old Obsidian vault and  -The link graph is pretty, the whiteboard seems brilliant, and god, I even color-coded all my folders? And they got icons? They're so pretty that I don't even want to click on it. +The link graph is pretty, the whiteboard seems brilliant, and god, I even color-coded all my folders? And they got icons? They're so pretty that I don't even feel like I should put my dirty hands on it. -And I surely did not. +And I surely did not. <!--more--> These well-organized brilliant-looking notes never actually helped me learn anything. Well, maybe a little, but all the good learning happened while I'm doing actual work, not taking pretty notes. -In school, if not taking tests, teachers evaluate students' academic performance merely by looking at their notes. I remember in my middle school and high school, if a kid's book is almost illegible because they have written useless words all over the page, they are considered as a diligent child. And guess what, we all try to write as much crap as possible but never even think to review it. +I'm sure I'm not alone here. Lots of us get lost in the sea of knowledge. But how did we get here? -It almost seems that the more pretty notes you've taken, the less you learn. +## The source of all evils: *Schools* -However, taking notes is not always like this. I believe written languages are born because humans desire to remember things and master skills. We invented speaking to communicate and writing to take notes. When goals are clear, we know what to write and what not to write. Nobody has ever struggled to find the perfect note-taking method. +In school, apart from test results, teachers evaluate students' academic performance merely by looking at their notes, *at least here in China*. I remember in my middle school and high school, if a kid's book is almost illegible because they have written useless words all over the page, they are considered as a diligent child. Otherwise, they're lazy, rebellious, and mischievous. + +And guess what, we all try to write as much crap as possible but never even think to review it. + +The teachers just love comparing students. If a student's notebook is clean and untouched, they're bad. *Oh, yours is all filled with ink? How dare you be proud of yourself? Look at that guy. He's got pretty highlights and beautiful calipgraphy. Try to be more organized, you disgusting.* + +Then the teacher turns around, looking at that guy he just gave compliments to. *And don't feel so good about yourself already. Look at your book. It's too tidy! It's obvious that you never opened it! Spend less time trying to be pretty, you sissy!* + +Just like that, taking notes becomes a game, which confusingly has no rules but is somehow very important to your performance. + +However, taking notes is not always like this. I believe written languages are created for humans' desire to remember things and master skills. We invented speaking to communicate and writing to take notes. When goals are clear, we know what to write and what not to write. Nobody has ever struggled to find the perfect note-taking method. + +Schools messed us up with meaningless chicken fights and made us all believed that note-taking is a really big deal, but it's not. It's not only schools, maybe also workplaces with stupid rules that forces you to write reports and summaries and stuff. And they blame you for not doing any good work. I think we all need to stop for a second to think about why we take notes. ## Artist's Sketchbook -I watched a YouTube video on writing mini essays to build a systematic framework of knowledge. The YouTuber describes it as the best note-taking method and learning method. And one comment reads: +I watched a YouTube video on writing mini essays to build a systematic framework of knowledge. The YouTuber describes it as the best note-taking method and learning method of all time. And one comment reads: > Oh, this is just like a sketchbook for an artist. -Exactly! A notebook is just like a sketchbook. You sketch to capture new ideas, but the real paintings happen on a canvas. We don;t expect +Inspiring! A notebook is just like a sketchbook. You sketch to capture new ideas, but the real paintings happen on a canvas. We don't expect our sketch to be perfect, but we do know that we need to put extra effort to the real work. + +Sketch is fun, I believe. Yet if an artist spends too much time on sketching, there is less time for them to do real work, which requires an insane amount of time and energy. + +Let's say there's an artist named Peter (I don't know why it's the first name that popped into my mind). Peter is learning how to paint, and he thought he needed some time to practice and prepare for the real work, where all the magic happens. + +Sure, that seems fair. + +Peter carries his sketchbook everywhere, so he can sketch whenever he wants, and however long he wants. Peter's done some good sketching. He successfully captured all his clever ideas and feels good about showing others his sketches. And people liked it, telling Peter that he's really done some good work. + +But did he really? + +If we open Peter's sketchbook, we'll find that there's nothing but pencil-drawn lines, and some shades maybe, I'm no artist. Well, you definitely cannot put those in a gallery or an art show. + +In fact, Peter is an artist who has done no work of art. He only sketches, and maybe even wrote essays on art. + +But the thing is that Peter has become so obsessed with sketches. He completely forgot that he needs to paint. + +And so did we, fellow note-takers. We can't just be note-taking. We need to actually create something. |