Re: Syntax Error: I couldn't fail...

From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Fri Aug 22 1997 - 13:15:41 MDT

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Philip Witham wrote:
>
> > "I couldn't fail to disagree with you less!" (1)
> I couldn't fail to agree with you more! (2)
> I couldn't fail to agree with you! (3)
> I agree with you! (4)

You can't arbitrarily eliminate the "more" between 2 and 3.
Agreeing more is not equivalent to agreeing.

The sentence cannot be resolved by cancelling the negatives. If it could,
it wouldn't be so beautiful.

-- 
         sentience@pobox.com      Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
          http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html
           http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/algernon.html
Disclaimer:  Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.

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