A paradox

The way I see it, there are two types of nothing. One is relative, the other is perpetual.

Neither of them truly exist. You want to get technical? A bit of logic and poetry can help to explain.

If we’re talking about an absolute void of nothingness - complete nothingness witnessed by no thing and nobody, it wouldn’t matter if it existed or not. Nothing is there to experience it. It’s truly a crazy thing to think about, but if ‘nothing’ existed then it wouldn’t ‘exist’ in the first place. Existence is a word used only by those who exist.

If there were an outside observer, then the very word “nothing” makes it something; it’s still a place being observed.

Still with me ? Good.

Now, since we live in a universe, with energy, matter, and observers, the word “nothing” is an incorrect word to use. It’s more of an exaggeration. Some quotes that resonate:

“Nature abhors a vacuum” - Aristotle

“Nothingness not being nothing, nothingness being emptiness.” -Isabelle Adjani

In addition to that, “the usefulness of a cup, is its emptiness.” - Osho

Our laws of thermodynamics essentially state that a complete void of nothingness is impossible. Even in the depths of space, it’s not nothing. It still has the slightest temperature, and light waves travel its boundaries endlessly.

There is no such thing as a total absence of anything. Darkness? Just an absence of light. Evil? Just an absence of good. Cold? Just an absence of heat. But -30° C feels warm if you just experienced -40°. Every evil person has a chance to do good. Even the darkest night will always yield to light.

To get more personal, we all have a void within us. I find mine when a lover breaks my heart. When I experience true loneliness. When I drink or indulge in drugs, my emotions fade away. When I fail repeatedly, I feel worthless. If I have nowhere to belong, I feel as if I’m a waste of space.

But I am still me, I am still here, and I still feel even if it’s not much. This void I find within me is a canvas. Waiting for my direction, waiting for me to paint the most beautiful picture I can.

You see, there is no such thing as nothingness, so long as there’s a word for it.