Nothing And Sloppy Language

 

Use of the term “nothing” is often indicative of sloppy language. One such expression is “I have nothing in my pocket”. Is it actually an accurate statement?

 

 

“I have nothing in my pocket.”

 

First let’s establish what a pocket is. A pocket is, in common parlance, typically a compartment or area designed for, designated for, or capable of storage. This considered a pocket would practically always concern space or room for containment. A pocket, such as a pants pocket, almost always contains lint, or tiny fibers, keys, coins or even air. Unless the pocket is vacuum-sealed and airtight, which obviously is quite impractical.

 

A pocket, by definition, concerns storage, it concerns room for some thing or some other thing. For a pocket to contain nothing, for there to be nothing in a pocket including room for containment the pocket or compartment material would have to be completely collapsed, completely condensed, sealed and secured with no capacity for storage. In which case it wouldn’t be capable of storage or capable of containment anyway. It would virtually be complete integration. There wouldn’t be anything contained within because there couldn’t be anything contained within. It wouldn’t be a pocket. It would seemingly be some extremely dense fabric or mass incapable of containment. Which of course would be something and not nothing. It’s a fallacious statement all the way around.

 

 

“Nothing is on the table.”

 

A similar statement is “nothing is on the table”. To demonstrate how this is erroneous one simply has to reference the lacquer or the coat of finish on the table. Or the microscopic dust particles or fibers upon the table undetectable to the unaided eye. From another perspective perhaps the very implications of “on the table” should be examined. By “on the table” is it meant “making contact with the table”? In which case air, as well, would be “on the table” as air would be making contact with the table. In other words, there are things on the table. There is not nothing, there is not no thing on the table. Nothing, no thing, does not exist to be on anything.

 

 

“Hear nothing.”

 

Someone may claim to hear nothing. However nothing is not heard. What is heard, what is perceived is silence. A condition, a circumstance is perceived. Else it could not be discussed or acknowledged. That which is perceived is, by definition, existence. Silence is perceived. Silence is something, not nothing. A word, a sound is perceived. Sound is something, not nothing. In the instance one lacks faculty of hearing one simply wouldn’t hear. Period. One would not “hear nothing”. Nothing is not and cannot be to be heard or sensed.

 

 

“Smell nothing.”

 

Someone may claim to smell nothing. However this also would be incorrect. The individual would be smelling, they would be perceiving, they would just be smelling or perceiving a neutral environment. They would be smelling, or breathing, neutral atmosphere. They wouldn’t be smelling an unpleasant nor pleasant odor. There would be no distinct, obvious odor or smell to identify. What is smelling? Breathing in particulates and determining certain characteristics such as foul or pleasant odor. The subject would simply be smelling or breathing in a neutral environment, breathing in neither foul nor pleasant but neutral atmosphere.

 

 

“Said nothing.”

 

It may be claimed that someone said nothing. In the case someone does not speak the person simply is not speaking. Period. Nothing is not spoken or introduced. Nothing is not to be spoken or introduced. The situation concerns only things; a person, people, concepts, gestures, events, a location, an environment, terrain, air, etcetera. There is no ontological gap where speaking should have been.

 

Use of the term “nothing” is often indicative of sloppy language. “I got it for nothing.” “I have nothing in my bank account.” These are two more examples. Both statements are false and prime examples of sloppy language.

 

 

“I got it for nothing.”

 

The individual did not get whatever item for nothing or for no thing. The individual obtained whatever item for themselves or for someone else or for some purpose or application. In the sense no money or item of trade was used in the acquisition nothing is still not introduced or present. Rather money nor an item of trade was needed in the process; some particular thing, an existent thing, is simply not involved in that particular case. Still only things are involved; individuals, items, concepts, etcetera. Nothing, no thing, is not introduced or involved because nothing is not and cannot be to be involved. The very notion of nothing itself is a concept, a paradoxical concept, an abstraction of the mind and is also a thing.

 

 

“I have nothing in my bank account.”

 

This is another common claim. The individual does not have nothing in their bank account. They may have no funds but that does not indicate nothing. At the very least they have digits, they have address and contact details, they have information in their bank account. Nothing does not actually exist. Nothing, nonexistence does not actually have presence to be referenced. What is referenced is some particular thing which is not involved in that particular case.