What is?

It seems it is in the things unsaid that madness finds its footing. Wondering what could have been, and wondering what is. What is, is for that matter? I spoke to a friend of mine today, and we discussed existence. It seems that in the world of Epistemology, the study of knowledge, things are far less concrete than they would appear. We argued about whether or not existence existed, and he actually gave a reasonable argument for why he would believe that it did not. I still believe that it does. By the fact that I type these words, I prove existence. This is because existence by definition exists, and that I am aware of some kind of reality that is at work simply means that there is existence. Existence is itself a word. I concede to my friend here because this thing I call existence would not be existence unless I gave it the name of existence. However, this thing I call existence still exists outside of whatever language I use to describe it or convey my perception of it. I find the argument that existence is only existence because we call it that to be a very self-centered way of looking at things, but do we not live in the first person? I just like to think that things exist outside of me, and that things happen outside of me, and that I have the option (and by that, I have the responsibility) to do something to help in whatever is to happen next in this thing called existence. It is hard to explain, it is not that I want to avoid having to make a stand, and it is not that I am trying to assert that my soapbox is taller. I simply suggest that in the end, we must go about our existence, awareness, life, or whatever you would like to call it and deal with others in a pragmatic understanding. An understanding that all people have their own perspectives that are a culmination of all of the things that have happened in their existence, and those things are very different than the things that have happened in mine. Nothing in that statement is aggressive, progressive, or profound. I am simply a person with a finite awareness of an infinite reality. The saying, "If you do not know everything, you cannot know anything," holds strong validity with me. However, I think that we can know how to operate as finite beings within an infinite realm. I think that is where Epistemology will have its uses. To be able to construct a knowledge base that is contingent upon itself and build from there. The principle would be similar to that of a wikipedia in the sense that, everyone will have their opinion as to what or how something is to exist and the correct answer would progress to the top naturally. That is just speculation, and play coming from my untrained and lackingly educated mind. Reading a lot of my earliest reasoning, and philosophy rooted in religions has skewed my vocabulary, but I use the word faith to communicate the idea not of something, but rather the lack of it. To have faith simply would mean to trust all things and all people to do what they will do, and what will be will be. That seems like something we should have no choice in believing, but I suggest that nobody does. It is impractical for anyone to have faith because to make such a decision would mean the complete loss of any protection from the exploitations of others. Because it is inherent for people to desire to protect themselves, we cannot have true faith. That is why we have law. It is a system of adaptation that we humans have adopted to compensate for that lack of faith. It is actually a good system because it can also account for the shortcomings that we humans have. However, I like to try to practice the closest form of that that I can, with that in mind. That is just me, and that is how I justify myself in doing things the best I can. I would love some input and some enlightenment to anything that others might have to say. My awareness is always growing, but for that to mean anything, it must be defined in relation to a relative point.
Thats pretty much all I have for now.