"I'd rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it."
This is better, I think:
"I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it."
The first one is the way it comes out of my head. The second one is from a practical person I know, who probably never thinks about writing or organizing his words.
I compare having to not having. That's my style of logic.
The practical guy compares having to needing. That's clarity.
If it was just "having" versus "not having" that would be fine. But it's "having (and not needing)" and the alternative.
"Not" is a complication. It requires the reader to interrupt himself to do a logical test. It's better to put the "not" off to the end, where it becomes less important.
I'd rather have it (and not need it) than not have it (and need it).
Oh my god it came out that way again! But yeah, with parentheses it is easier to see the better form:
I'd rather have it (and not need it) than need it (and not have it).
2 comments:
I think the second version is better — to my ear, “not have it” has greater emphasis at the end.
No pizza here. Oh well. :)
No pizza.
For some reason I no longer receive notification by email when there's a new comment on the blog. I found your comment by accident just now.
I like the second version better too.
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