What does it mean to exist?

"I think, therefore, I am"... I think. -- Rene Descartes, modified by Moody Blues.

"Think, think, think." -- Winnie the Pooh

You think, therefore, ... hmmm? Well, do you?

All right, enough fooling around.

It exists if it has an influence upon other things that exist.

Your unicorn may exist only in your mind, but have no influence in the world. Being real in your mind, you may walk around it, thence having an influence on you alone. However, if it started knocking down china off an end-table, I might begin to believe it exists.

There are all sorts of arguments that can be made to this explanation, but then, this is not a forum for deep philosophical discussions.

The answer is simpler than anyone can believe...For something to exist takes a group of people to confirm its actuality and to wholeheartedly believe in its concept. It is the same as with Christianity noone has ever seen god but, there are millions upon millions of people that stake everything they have on this belief.

So all you need to do is get a large group of your buddies to "witness" your unicorn and there you go.

Well, I suppose I would have to fall back on René Descartes on this one. Descartes also had this same question; he wanted to know how he knew that he existed. He then began to doubt whether or not he actually existed. He then came to the conclusion "I think, therefore I am." This is more or less how he arrived at his conclusion:

I don't know I exist.

I am doubting that I exist.

Since I don't know I exist and I can doubt, I only know that doubt exists.

I have the capacity to doubt; that is, I can perceive doubt.

Therefore, I exist.

So, the answer pretty much is, since you are able to doubt, you exist. If doubt exists and you can perceive doubt in your mind, you must exist also.

No, people will not believe that an invisible unicorn exists in your room unless you brainwash them.

Oh, but if you wrote it in a book now and burried it, in 2000 years people might believe there really was a unicorn, based on absolutely no facts :))

It is just that we use the word exist more to material objects,

i belive you there was a ghost in my old house and if something didnt exist then y do we know that there is a god that takes us to our real home when it is time and always looks after us if we are in trouble think about it

Because I can't actually see it. Everyone has a different look at the world.

Because you cannot see what you may see and that is why it does not exist in my eyes.

I think, therefore, I am. I believe Voltaire said it first.

Oop. Make that Descartes.