Which Is The Prefered Way To Link Notes In A Zettelkasten?

What I’m trying to do

I’m trying to set up a Zettelkasten which should include personal information and thoughts, as well as academic notes and excerpts. As I am somewhat new to the whole Zettelkasten and knowledge management business I wonder which is the smartest way to link my notes.

Things I have tried

Suppose I have Zettel 1 (e.g. systems theory of Luhmann does not concern humans but social systems) and Zettel 2 (e.g. Émile Durkheim was the first to study society without inquiring individuals (humans)) which are in any way related to each other. Now I want to link them.
So far I had two options in mind on how to do that:

1. Describe the way these notes are related to each other in both notes (e.g. Zettel 1 would now include that Luhmanns systems theory inherits from Durkheims ideas. And Zettel 2 would now include, that Durkheims ideas are the basis of modern systems based sociology (like Luhmanns)) and include the link to the other note in this description.
2. Create a third note which describes the relationship between the both notes (e.g. there is now a Zettel 3 which states that modern systems theory inherits from the ideas of Émile Durkheim) and link this note to both notes.
   Option 1 leaves me with much longer notes. As each note has many relations I will end up with very long notes if I explicitly write each relationship to other notes on the note. Option 2 creates many more notes which clutter the Zettelkasten as each relationship between notes whill result in a new note.
   Has anybody gotten some experience which of the methods pays of more in a big knowledge management system with lots of notes? Or maybe it doesn’t really matter and I just need to start writing the notes to see for myself? Or maybe there is another option enitrely that I missed?
   Help would be appreciated

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