Double Negative??? -- Sorry George

[OMEGA]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Double Negative??? -- Sorry George

Actually not. The two phrases, though similar, mean completely distinct things. Let's use a broken pipe in your toilet that makes the bathroom flood with fecal water after every flush.

Citruscide runs to his mommy immediately.

"Mommy, we need to install a new pipe for the bathroom. We can't afford not to."

Does this mean the same as: "Mommy, we need to install a new pipe for the bathroom. We can afford to."

#2 implies that the pipe must be put in the bathroom because you can afford it. #1 implies that it must be put in because you can't afford NOT to put it in. #1 gives a reason that suggests urgency or a lack of alternatives, #2 just says "we can, so let's."

The concern here is finding logically equivalent sentences. If "we can afford to" is logically equivalent to, and as important as, "we can't afford not to," then telling you that you have to sell me your car for cheap because you can afford to (that is, you can afford to sell me your car for cheap because you have enough money to get a new one) is as valid a reason to sell me your car for cheap as "you have to sell me your car for cheap because you can't keep up with the payments. You CAN'T afford NOT to sell your car."



These two, on the other hand, are logically equivalent.

Remembering something means retaining it in your mind.
Forgetting something means once retaining something in your mind, and then no longer retaining it.

Failure to forget something means the opposite of forgetting it, which is just remembering it. Remembering it is the positive form, while "failing to forgetting" it is the negative form. That's double negation - having two ways of expressing something and choosing the one with two negatives.

Now the most important question:

What's more pathetic? The fact that I accurately conjured all of this up as I went without any reference material, or the fact that I took the time to do so at 12:40 AM knowing that I have to wake up tomorrow (today!) at 8:00 AM for a midterm for which I have not studied.




muhaha.

-Warik

WARIK YOU BELONG IN THE 25 TH CENTURY.......AND YOUR TOO SMART FOR YOU OWN GOOD

 

[VicTusDeuS]

I fail to understand how locking a thread or leaving one open will affect th affordability of the site..Can someone fill me in..

 

[Rockafella Skank]

No matter how this was written, the structure was clumsy and THAT was its trouble.

While the following -- "We can't afford to not lock this thread" -- does nothing to make it less clumsy, to mine ears and eyes it makes it clearer.

Locking the thread, by the way, affects the affordability of the site because dead threads use considerably less bandwidth ... and bandwidth costs money.

 

[VicTusDeuS]

No matter how this was written, the structure was clumsy and THAT was its trouble.

While the following -- "We can't afford to not lock this thread" -- does nothing to make it less clumsy, to mine ears and eyes it makes it clearer.

Locking the thread, by the way, affects the affordability of the site because dead threads use considerably less bandwidth ... and bandwidth costs money.

That is true..We need to conserve space so there's room for more ass eating threads..HAHA

 

[Rockafella Skank]

That is true..We need to conserve space so there's room for more ass eating threads..HAHA

Of course! Our priorities are well in order.

 

[Warik]

haha

I got negative karma for giving everyone a grammar lesson. Someone must be mad. Was it youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Citruscide? Shame on you.

-Warik

 

[manny78]

 

[George Spellwin]

Re: Re: Double Negative??? -- Sorry George

1) we cannot afford not to

However, I must express my deepest disapproval with George's use of a preposition to conclude his sentence. The shame.


-Warik

Ok, how's this, "we cannot afford not to asshole!"

Just kidding, just kidding,

 

[saint808]

Re: Re: Re: Double Negative??? -- Sorry George

Ok, how's this, "we cannot afford not to asshole!"

Just kidding, just kidding,

much better.

 

[Warik]

Re: Re: Re: Double Negative??? -- Sorry George

Ok, how's this, "we cannot afford not to asshole!"

Just kidding, just kidding,

There should be a comma between "to" and "asshole," asshole.

=)

-Warik