TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Being existent (HUMOR) From:"Pickett-Harner, Molly" <mop1 -at- NIORDS1 -dot- EM -dot- CDC -dot- GOV> Date:Mon, 11 Sep 1995 09:50:00 EST
Well...there is this disgraceful description of the death of Rene Descartes:
Descartes is in a bar having a drink.
Bartender asks if he'd like another.
Descartes says, "I think not."
Molly Pickett-Harner
mop1 -at- niords1 -dot- em -dot- cdc -dot- gov
harner -at- access -dot- mountain -dot- net
----------
From: Price, Becca
I think, therefore I'm not.
----------
Subject: Re. Being existent
Date: Friday, September 08, 1995 1:04PM
Jim Garner asked for the difference between
"being" and "existence". Well, Jim, that's an easy
one: the former is the present participle of the
verb "to be", whereas the latter is a simple noun
(falling under the "state of _being_" category).
To paraphrase Jim, "You're not really being, you
just think you are." <grin>
Oh! You meant "philosophically"? That's a tougher
one. I vaguely recall something about the ability
to exist (as a stone exists) without being, but
the inability to be without existing. Does that
help a bit more?
--Geoff Hart @8^{)}
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca