I have nothing.

"There is nothing to look forward to."

"I am nothing."

At one point or another, every single person has come to the conclusion that their life has amounted to nothing or they have nothing to show for what they have done. Whether it’s a realization that one’s path has led them astray, or an onset of depression caused by an outside event, the issue of nothingness or void (whether it’s meaning, ambition or accomplishment) has been brought to mind. But does anyone truly understand what a void (nothingness) is? Is it something that actually exists?

Nothing is defined as “the absence of all magnitude or quantity” (such as zero or empty set in math terms) or “someone or something of no value.” Everyone has questioned their worth or value at some point in their lives, usually during a time of crisis. When one feels there are no options or no directives to salvage, there is a sense of void … “the quality or state of being without something; lack, absence, nothingness.” Void can also be described as a feeling of hollowness. As real as the feeling may seem, reality dictates otherwise. What if nothingness is a property that cannot exist (philosophically or scientifically speaking)?

Consider a topic that many would debate as to whether it exists or not. Say the topic is Atlantis. There is much argument as to whether or not Atlantis ever existed. In this case, we will focus on the argument that it does not exist and never did. That mere statement alone implies existence. How? When one states or names any subject, idea or object, there is a form of existence attached to it. Perhaps it never existed in physical form, but it does exist as an idea or notion. By creating the alleged object or concept within our minds, a form of existence has been brought to it.

If one argues existences from a strictly physical point of view, they would eradicate the existence of many things we know to exist, but are not tangible. One good example would be time. Time cannot be seen, it cannot be touched, and we truly do not understand what it is. However, we see the effects of time on a daily basis. Time is a measurement for the rate of change, but how do you describe the physical properties of the rate itself? You cannot, you can only describe the effects it has on other objects.

To put the parameters of physical solidity on something is to say ideas, thoughts and intangible properties do not exist. Most forms of energy would not exist. And since we know there are many energy fields that can be detected and measured, though they are not seen or even felt, we know they exist. Hence, physical manifestation or solidity is not a requirement for existence.

Furthermore, the notions of void, even in the scientific realms, have been proven to be impossible. It was once assumed that vacuums in space meant “a space absolutely devoid of matter.” Since technology has advanced to a degree where we can detect subatomic particles as well as miniscule energy fields, scientists have been forced to redefine their definitions of vacuums. Here is an example of such:

"Vacuum - the absence of matter, such as air. A perfect vacuum is a condition that does not exist. High-vacuum coating chambers pump down from an atmospheric pressure of 760 Torr to a pressure of 1 x 10-5 Torr. This means that for every 100,000,000 molecules of air in the chamber before pump down, only about 1 remains after."

In short, there are no absolute vacuums, just partial ones. As Henning Genz stated in his book Nothingness, "There is no such thing as absolutely empty space. All space contains fluctuating fields and particles. Even in the emptiest space that the laws of nature permit, there are energy levels about which the energies of the fields and particles fluctuate; and these energy levels are never sharply defined." Essentially, as space is created it is given some properties of 'non-emptiness'. Even if one could remove all the subatomic particles from a given space, it would be impossible to remove the energy. Hence, there is no true void … as no space can be made free of all properties.

So, considering a true void or state of nothingness is impossible to exist on the physical realm, as well as the rhetorical, this would mean it is impossible for any one person to be nothing, or have a life that is truly a void. All there can be is the misinterpretation or skewed perspective of one’s own value.

All we really have is our choices, and the paths we take to achieve what we set out to do. A life inactive does not make it without value … it just means a little re-evaluation of one’s means needs to be considered. As long as one is breathing and has any desire or motivation to do something, there is always time to do something MORE with one’s life. There is always unrealized value, potential value, and that should never be discounted just because events have not brought said value forth.