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Books About Nothing
Maybe nothing is really something
It’s 1992 and we’re watching Seinfeld, more specifically, the episode: “The Pitch.”
In the episode, Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza “pitch” the actual show we’re watching to a network representative, Russell Dalrymple.
I’ll fill you in.
George Costanza: I think I can sum up the show for you in one word. Nothing.
Russell Dalrymple asks what that means.
George: The show is about nothing!
Jerry Seinfeld: Well, it’s not about nothing.
Maybe in philosophy, but even nothing is something.
George Costanza: Yeah, but nothing happens on the show. You see, it’s just like life. You know, you eat, you go shopping, you read, you eat, you read, you go shopping.
I tend to be drawn to the nothing of life. Yes, Jerry’s right, nothing is something. Nothing is the absence of stimuli, it’s lacking content, and your brain can breathe.
Some may think nothing is mundane. But it’s not.
I’ll set the scene.
It’s midnight on the plane, the lights are turned low, most passengers are sleeping, and perhaps a few are watching a movie or reading by dim light. There’s a murmur…