Nature Abhors A Vacuum
In physics, there’s a concept attributed to Aristotle that roughly translates to the phrase “nature abhors a vacuum.” In layman's terms, the concept means that nature requires every space to be filled - and that there are no naturally-occurring empty spaces because denser surrounding material immediately and always fills a void.
In this episode we’ll discuss how we can apply this natural law to create space for bigger, better, more productive thoughts by clearing out what’s currently occupying those spaces first. Let’s talk about how to do it.
Episode Transcription
Intro:
In physics, there’s a concept attributed to Aristotle that roughly translates to the phrase “nature abhors a vacuum.” In layman's terms, the concept means that nature requires every space to be filled - and that there are no naturally-occurring empty spaces because denser surrounding material immediately and always fills a void.
So in this episode I want to discuss how we can apply this natural law to create space for bigger, better, more productive thoughts by clearing out what’s currently
occupying those spaces first. Let’s talk about how to do it. Here we go.
Main:
Let’s start with a little physics lesson.
So there’s a concept that’s attributed to Aristotle called Horror Vak-wee, but the more commonly known translation of that concept is that “nature abhors a vacuum.”
And what that concept means in layman's terms is that there are no naturally-occurring empty spaces in nature because denser surrounding material immediately and always fills the void.
In other words, the idea is that there’s a natural law that says that nature won’t let there be a void - empty space is always taken up by something. When something is removed, it’s immediately replaced by something else.
Let me give you an example of this. So a simple example would be water in a glass.
If I start with a full glass of water and then pour half of it out, as soon as I take the water out of the glass it’s immediately replaced by air. So nature, in other words, prevents a vacuum - or nothingness - from happening in the glass. When something is taken out, it’s always replaced by something else. The spot is always filled.
So this is a pretty simple concept but I want to restate it so that we can think about it differently for a second.
Another way we can think about this concept is by saying that “The need determines the strength of the supply.”
And what that means is the supply or what fills the void is determined by how much you’ve cleared out first.
So if I haven’t cleared much water out of my glass, then there’s only a small need for more air. But if I’ve removed a lot of water from the glass, then I’ve created a bigger need for something to take its place.
And I want us to take this physics concept and think about how we might apply this natural law to our actions and to our thoughts. And here’s how I want you to start to think about it:
If there’s something that you want to be different about your day or about the way you’re thinking or about your current circumstances, you can’t create a legitimate need for something until you use, or clear, or donate, or give up, or process what’s currently there.
So in other words in order to acquire anything - more time, different thoughts, different outcomes, different physical things in our environment - we have to clear out whatever is currently occupying that space first.
And the amount that you end up acquiring is proportional to the need that you create - so the more you remove, the more space you make to receive something new.
When you let go of something or when you give something away, effectively what you’re doing is opening up space to receive something new.
Let me give you another example that comes to mind for me and it relates to writing or journaling.
If you’ve ever journaled before, you know that journaling is not only valuable because it helps you capture present thoughts. It’s also valuable because it helps you clear space for new thoughts.
When you journal or when you write, it’s kind of like uncorking a wellspring of ideas and new information that are already there but that you haven’t given a chance to come to the surface yet because they’ve been buried underneath old thoughts or old habits or beliefs that you haven’t processed yet.
And the more you journal and write down your thoughts, the more space you clear and the more of a need you create for new information to enter the void that you created.
Another example is a to-do list. What happens when you create a to do list? When you create one there’s a sense of relief because whatever was top of mind for you, you’ve removed those thoughts or things that have been rattling around that you want to remember and you’ve created space for new thoughts that allow you to move on with your day or allow you to get to work - and you can fill that space with whatever is next.
So the idea here is that if we’re looking to make changes, we have to lead with creating space first because it helps you establish a legitimate need.
So from a practical standpoint what I want you to do is ask this question:
What can I remove or give to make space for something new?
And specifically I want you to think about how you can translate this principle of physics to the way that you think and move through your day, particularly to the situations in your day when you recognize that you have a very distinct need that you want to fill.
Let me give you a couple of examples that come to mind for me.
The first one is Limiting beliefs. What beliefs about yourself and your capabilities do you need to let go of to make room for new beliefs?
Every time you’re able to let go of a limiting belief you have about how good you are at your work, how other people perceive you, the value you contribute, or what you’re capable of accomplishing, you create a need for new and better thoughts to fill that void.
Second, You can think about your Physical Environment: What can you subtract from your physical environment to make room for something new?
A lot of times we have a bunch of old stuff just laying around and just the process of removing one or two things from our line of sight creates a need for something else.
So if I clear a bunch of papers from my desk, I could fill that void with something non-physical like a sense of clarity because I feel less cluttered and less overwhelmed if I’m not staring at a pile of papers each day. But I can’t create the need for that visual clarity until I remove the papers first.
I’d encourage you to find a few things in your physical space, clear them out, and see if that allows you to fill that space with something like more clarity or feeling more calm or more focused.
And then third and finally, one of my favorites is related to advice or guidance or mentorship - it could be related to day to day advice, or advice about your career or your work.
What happens is when you teach someone else what you know, or when you help them by giving them advice from your experience, you open up space for you to learn something new from someone else. You’ve created a void that needs filling.
Think about it this way: if I constantly am replaying things in my head that I already know, then I’m not creating any space for anything new.
So I work a lot with entrepreneurs and students and when they ask what’s the best way to go about getting a mentor, the first thing I tell them to do is to go find someone who needs your help or who needs mentoring first.
By mentoring someone else, you create space for new information that you need and you have a better understanding of what that need looks like. And then you’re able to go about filling that need with more clarity.
I can give a dozen examples off the top of my head of people who have taken my classes who have done this and had it work almost instantaneously. They found someone to mentor, and then their own mentor appeared.
So for your takeaway I want you to think about this idea of how “The need determines the strength of the supply.” If you’re looking for something or want to make a change, focus on what you can give away or exchange or give up first so that you create a legitimate need.
Go have a great workday.