Do We Really Need Rules for Reading?

I have not done much annotation in my reading. I consider myself an informal reader because I do not really follow any reading rules, if there are such rules. What might be even worse, at least to some bookworms, is that I write on the pages of my books. If something comes to mind while I am reading—whether it is related to what I am reading or simply an idea triggered by something in the book—I write it down.

Now that I think about it, though, I guess I have always been unconsciously and unintentionally following people's rules when it comes to reading. I do read at my own pace and in whatever way I want, but somehow, at a subconscious level, it feels like I am also following these unwritten rules of reading. It's almost like an automatic reaction, as if I have internalized certain expectations about how I am supposed to read, even though I have never consciously chosen to follow them.

I guess I am not explaining or articulating myself very well here. When I talk about “unspoken rules,” what I really mean is the influence we unconsciously absorb from other people, especially through social media. We see how other people read, annotate, organize their books, and talk about their reading habits, and without realizing it, we can begin to internalize the idea that this is how we are supposed to read.

Even though I read at my own pace and in whatever way feels natural to me, I never really thought about annotation in the way I do now. It is not because I did not learn about it in school—I did. In fact, that is also part of the reason I became motivated to improve my English skills and writing ability. I want to be able to write as much as I want because, at heart, I am a writer.

I think that is what I mean by those unintentional influences. We do not always realize that we are being influenced by what we see and hear from others. Somehow, we start thinking that perhaps we should be doing things a certain way, even when nobody has actually told us that we have to.

But then again, the reason I am writing this thought down is because I want to immortalize this moment when I am beginning to read books more intentionally, particularly when it comes to practices like annotation. I will still continue writing on the pages of my books and putting my thoughts directly beside the passages that trigger them. That is not going to change.

What has changed is that I am now finding more creative ways to remember the lines, ideas, and passages that resonate with me. I do not want to keep flipping through the pages of a book just to find a quote or an idea I remember reading a long time ago. I still want the freedom to read my way—but now, I am also learning how to make my reading experience more meaningful and easier to revisit.

Aren’t these cute little sticky-note tabs just like French fries in a box?

Well, that's it for me today.