Seinfeld: Nothingness and the Artificial Creation of Meaning
The moral case for creating meaning when you're lacking it.
Seinfeld is a show about nothing.
Everyone knows this, because it's been so ingrained in us from the show. They literally had an entire story line where they pitched a show within the show where they insisted that the show was about nothing. Not to mention the fact that people have repeated it as if it's naturally assumed. And it's rather obvious why people think it's the case. The show downplays many things that in any other context would be considered incredibly important and massively consequential. It presents things like relationships and jobs and even politics as without much value.
However, there's an argument to make that the show is about a lot more than that.
Mainly that the show is about trying to create meaning where there isn't any. So many of society's problems seemed to be solved in the 90s. With the collapse of communism and the looming threat of nuclear war taken off the table, the things which animated so many people's lives are no longer something worthy of serious consideration. Many people lost their driving force, the reason they'd dedicated their lives to a cause. What came from that was a search for something new, a cause to make existence worthwhile. And they were willing to look for it anywhere they could get it. They are even going to create it if they have to.
Seinfeld is about the creation of that new reason for being. Jerry, George, Elaine and especially Kramer are completely aimless in their lives. They have no underlying purpose or function in any meaningful way. So what they do is go around finding things that stand in for these ideas. Whether it's trying to find a lasting relationship and repeatedly failing, or a job that will contribute to their own happiness and long term stability, or whatever else they need. All of it in some sense is attempting to find some sort of meaning in a world without it.
But none of these things provide any serious value or purpose to their lives. It never amounts to anything substantial which is worthy of what it is that they've lost, or perhaps they never had in the first place. Which is part of why it's described as a show about nothing. Because nothing they do ultimately gives them what they need... a purpose. This doesn't mean that they will ever stop trying. If they did stop trying to create meaning, they'd end up in a bad place. Which is what ultimately keeps them going. Their search for a purpose, somewhat ironically gives them purpose and that is what the show is about.
So people aren't necessarily wrong when they say that the show is about nothing. It's just a different kind of nothingness then most people assume. On some level, it reflected the need for purpose so many people were struggling with in that era.
Take the time to explore your own need to find meaning in the nothingness by checking out the show on Netflix.
Yes. If have no meaning and we don't create it, we meander aimlessly. Those that stop trying end up depressed and jaded.