Note 05 · Reading
Connect notes with an explanation
A link becomes useful when it says what two readings have in common and where they differ.
Write the relationship
Instead of adding a bare cross-reference, explain the connection in one sentence. One reading may offer an example of another's definition, challenge an assumption or use a similar word in a different way. Naming that relationship helps a later reader follow the link with a purpose.
Keep the difference visible
Related sources do not have to agree. Compare the question, setting and evidence behind each claim before combining them. A practical example and a historical account may illuminate the same subject while supporting different conclusions. Keep their differences beside the connection so that a tidy note does not erase useful tension.
Limit the number of links
A note does not need to connect to everything nearby. Start with the few relationships that help answer the current question. Add another when a later reading gives it a clear use. A small collection of explained links is easier to revisit than a dense network whose connections were made only because matching words appeared.