The fundamental problem with is and was

The point of this paper is to show the difference between is and was and how much the difference may matter

The difference between is and was is the tenses they represent. At first glance one can easily identify past and present when they are in a sentence. The problem is that the time doesn’t matter for things. If you paint a blue car red, it was a blue car and now is a red car. No confusion in the context of tense. But once we go from that to, if a man stops robbing banks, he was a bank robber and is now not. That doesn’t make sense. The man is, and will always be, a bank robber. He might not ever rob a bank again, but that title now accurately depicts him and it always will.

So where do we go from here?

Once a certain degree is hit, no matter what one can do will chance the perception they receive. Imagine trying to find the moon on a cloudy night, just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it is not there. Even if you haven’t see the moon in weeks, there are no discrepancies that would make someone think it is no longer in the sky.

Let’s expand on this idea

In the daytime, it does make sense to say the moon was in the sky. The problem is that it still is, even now when we use the past tense. This concept is being used on a meaningless idea though, so where do we take it?

The tattoo differences

The differences of types of tattoos are drastically distinct. Where a rub on tattoo might last for a day, a permanent tattoo is, well, permanent. How ever you were thinking at the time, whatever ideals you had, are now stamped on you forever. If you get a tattoo of your favorite band, then years later hate that band, you are marked as someone who does not hate that band. The only way to take that perception away is to alter or change the permanent ink.

What actions are permanent ink?

Actions that don’t just affect you and affect someone else are permanent. If you break someone’s heart they may recover, but you are a heart breaker. If you paint your room blue, no one except you cares. If that action does affect someone it is not affecting their status of life.

Let’s twist this idea a bit with critical thinking.

If someone tattoos their face (permanent ink aside) now everyone sees you as whatever preconceptions they have about people with face tattoos. Even though this doesn’t affect them in the slightest, if affects the perception received for you.

The point.

The point of this paper is to show that there doesn’t necessarily have to be a difference between is and was. That the differences ultimately depends on what has happened.

Dear Dr. Amla,

I am sure you could tell but this was difficult for me to write. Since it isn’t the thesis I wanted to make, I didn’t make it long enough per your guidelines. I am wondering if I am getting the gist of what you suggested.

Liam,

I am currently in a meeting at the auditorium until 4. I will make a detailed reply later. From what I see though is that you aren’t actually thinking in that way, you are imitating someone who would think in that way. This is not at all what I wanted you to do.

I do not think you took my suggestion as I said.

This response angered Liam. He took 2 hours to write half a thesis he did not agree with. What does she mean I am not actually thinking that way of course I am not thinking that way because I don’t actually believe the bullshit I just typed. Looking at the clock, he sees that it is 3:45. In his anger he decides to head to the auditorium to see if Dr. Amla could honestly believe that he did not do what she had asked.

Leaving his dorm it was as if he was the only one there. Even though he passed crowds of people it was as if they didn’t even exist. He knew his anger was irrational, but he couldn’t stop his steps. Even though it was a sunny day all Liam saw was red. Subconsciously what he was doing made no sense to him. He has never been one to confront anyone and this is something that didn’t even matter. Even though he realized all of that his feet kept moving and he couldn’t stop. In the corner of his eye he notices something red in a bush on the way. Trying to shift his mind into anything that might distract him from whatever state he was in. Still, he is unable to stop and continues on.

Getting to the auditorium Liam sees Dr. Amla heading to her car. He quickly approaches and in a stern voice tells her to say exactly what she wants him to do. Was this what this was all about? Liam realized he hasn’t been put in a situation that would force him to defend something he didn’t even believe in, that this must be why he acted so erratically. Dr. Amla turns around confused and off guard, she could see that he had something on his mind. She asks Liam to take a seat with her at a nearby bench to chat about this.

At the bench she explains that, like his old paper said, anyone can say they are this or that when they aren’t. Her example she used was “You didn’t write a paper as Aristotle, you wrote it as someone who has studied Aristotle” Liam said nothing as he knew she was right. Even though he tried hard, he didn’t complete the task he set out to do. This is the first that has happened for as long as he could remember. If he put his mind to something, it always got done. Dr. Amla walked away and Liam stayed sitting at the bench trying to comprehend that actions he just took. Something so minute made him lose all control. He has always been one to keep his composure, even in situations that would be better for him to lose it.

Liam stayed at the bench thinking until it got dark. By the end, he chalked it up to a lack of sleep mixed with being stressed out. Heading back to his dorm he sees a fox hiding in a bush. Standing there staring at it, he sees himself in the fox. Hiding, waiting for things to pass by so he can go on his way. Not knowing what could come up in the future or how long something might be in the way. That fox is all he thought about the rest of the night.