#SeinfeldTaughtMe: What We Learned From The Show About Nothing

The hashtag #SeinfeldTaughtMe, trending this morning on Twitter, shows that the seminal NBC sitcom Seinfeld is a surprisingly good source of life hacks, or at least life advice and stupid human tricks. Here are some of the most useful lessons.

Image: Seinfeld

As a “show about nothing”, Seinfeld was really about all the things that make up daily life.

#SeinfeldTaughtMe to always check for toilet paper first, because some people can’t spare a square pic.twitter.com/k3wAmwJmck

— Gerome, Put it all on the EXPOS!! (@MabryMundy) November 3, 2017

Its characters dared to violate the norms. They played out heightened versions of the little tricks we all try.

#SeinfeldTaughtMe it’s not a lie if you believe it pic.twitter.com/U6gXbN61LT

— Jamie Manzi (@jmanz327) November 3, 2017

These tricks were social, mental and physical.

https://twitter.com/lostinmusic1975/status/926297742577512449

Sometimes this aberrant behaviour worked, but sometimes the cons outweighed the pros.

https://twitter.com/TimmyLittleSays/status/926283311630180352

In punishing characters for their wrongs, the world of Seinfeld was more just and fair than the real one.

https://twitter.com/TouchedPrawn/status/926302506556231680

But sometimes bad things happened to good people.

Write down your parking spot number. #SeinfeldTaughtMe pic.twitter.com/RUIPm8e88W

— Hell O Fel E Sha (@hellofeliciia) November 3, 2017

Really bad things.

#SeinfeldTaughtMe not to skimp on the invitations pic.twitter.com/PLTizCAqBH

— Robyn with a “y” not an “i” (@robyndwoskin) November 3, 2017

The show even commented on that difference between the usual glamorised world of fiction, vs. the mundanity of Seinfeld‘s “reality”.

#SeinfeldTaughtMe to always have a drink with pretzels pic.twitter.com/LPlKPC7VCI

— Blaise (@Double_Dogg) November 3, 2017

Sometimes the characters pulled insane gambits that no one would ever try in real life – no one except Seinfeld co-creator Larry David.

https://twitter.com/bluelighttv/status/926392324170530816

Most importantly, Seinfeld reminded us that what makes us interesting isn’t our strengths but our weaknesses. It even presented a model of friendship based on celebrating those weaknesses, counter to the aspirational “BFFs who would die for each other” relationships of other shows.

https://twitter.com/RichieRichietwo/status/926287802916098049

I lied, the most important lesson is that anything can be a napkin if you don’t give a damn.

https://twitter.com/BrushingOff/status/926287758578110464

#SeinfeldTaughtMe [Twitter]