The Utility of Emptiness
The empty space in an object makes it useful: the center of a wheel, the hollow of a vessel, and the interior of a room each serve a function. Lao Tzu illustrates this in the Dao De Jing.
THE IDEA
Zhen Goh
“Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel;
yet it is its center that makes it useful.
You can mold clay into a vessel;
yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows from the walls of a house;
but the ultimate use of the house
will depend on that part where nothing exists.
Therefore, something is shaped into what is;
but its usefulness comes from what is not.”
- Dao de jing, Lao Tzu (Verse 11) (1)
When to use it
In product design, using negative space to enhance aesthetics and usability.
In time management, the empty spaces in a schedule (breaks, blank time) can increase productivity.
In architecture, designing open spaces for function.
In decision-making, leaving room for unexpected options.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
The Wheel
Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel; yet it is its center that makes it useful.
The Vessel
You can mold clay into a vessel; yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful.
The House
Cut doors and windows from the walls of a house; but the ultimate use of the house will depend on that part where nothing exists.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a tool or object you use daily. What part of it is 'empty' and how does that emptiness contribute to its function?
Consider a design or workspace. How could increasing emptiness (negative space) improve its usefulness?
In what areas of your life might you be focusing too much on the 'substance' rather than the 'void'?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Cynefin - Weaving Sense-Making into the Fabric of Our World ED02 (Dave Snowden Sonja Blignaut Zhen Goh)