not being

rosencrantz: do you think death could possibly be a boat?

guildenstern: no, no, no... death is ‘not.’ death isn't. take my meaning? death is the ultimate negative. not-being. you can't not be on a boat.

rosencrantz: i've frequently not been on boats.

guildenstern: no, no... what you've been is not on boats.

-- tom stoppard. ‘rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead’. august, 1966.