Doing nothing is an active listening practice that seeks real change, not withdrawal.

Evidence

I WANT TO be clear that I’m not actually encouraging anyone to stop doing things completely. In fact, I think that “doing nothing”—in the sense of refusing productivity and stopping to listen—entails an active process of listening that seeks out the effects of racial, environmental, and economic injustice and brings about real change. I consider “doing nothing” both as a kind of deprogramming device and as sustenance for those feeling too disassembled to act meaningfully. — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 105

Categorization

• DEFINE: This is the core definition the reader needs to defend Odell against the withdrawal misreading.
• SEED: This is the crux for any essay answering the title misreading: doing nothing as refusal of productivity rather than actual inactivity.