Of all the two-letter words in the English language, two of them are not only my favorites, but also the most meaningful. They are is and if. On a per-letter basis, no other words pack as much density of meaning.
The word is encompasses all existence and everything we know. It is at the core of defining all other words:
• A banana is a fruit.
• Blue is a color.
• Swimming is a life skill or sport involving an animal moving through water.
Is can even be the source of arguments over what is and what is not. Everything from “Is Casey Anthony guilty?” to “Is there a God?” People can argue for or against those endlessly, trying to prove the answer to “Is?”
Because it is the most fundamental concept, it’s all the more astonishing that Bill Clinton could question what is is. He was astute enough to observe that is’s past-tense form, was, encompasses everything that we know to have happened — things that were once is, but are not now. That points to why is takes a back seat to another, equally tiny word. For all of its power, however, it has a finite definition. It is limited to only what exists now. You cannot use is to definitively talk about what might have existed or what may exist in the future. For that, you need another, more powerful word.
The word if is the most powerful two-letter word. For that matter, it is probably the word with the most density of meaning in the shortest possible word.
If is timeless:
• If Moses did cross the Red Sea chased by Egyptians, then maybe we can find artifacts under the sediment.
• If we go to Mars, we may find life there.
• If you’re here, then who is watching the kids?
If can cover a broad range of possibilities. In the case of the last sentence above, the answer could be any of almost seven billion humans, no one at all, or the family pet.
If drives our imagination beyond what we know. It is at the core of asking questions that drive scientific investigation. “If I smash large enough particles together at fast enough speed, will I find a Higgs boson?”
I find it intriguing and frustrating that so many people confuse if and is, as if if means is:
• If I go to the doctor, I may need surgery.
• If I marry him, I may miss some other guy who is the real Mr. Right.
• If I just try a few more pulls, then I may win the jackpot!
People often act as if the conditional were the foregone conclusion. They worry about going to the doctor. They pass up the current opportunity for the chance that a better one will come along. Or they squander their efforts on low-probability opportunities.
Moreover, if can express or even introduce doubt that people feel as real or believe to be real:
• If I don’t make this deadline, will I lose my job?
• If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.
They panic about their career. Or they let a questionable line of argument sway their decision about a man accused of murder.
The cynic in me questions the probability of if conditionals. Nevertheless, the idealist in me loves the word if for the optimism it expresses, the possibilities it opens up, and the testable choices and decisions it can lead to.
