Is death the only thing guaranteed in our lives?

[Francis Aderogbin]

People say it a lot. That's not the first time I will hear it. Death is sure the only guaranteed thing after life. No one can escape death as long as you have life. I think it's relevant because the theory of different worldlines is not certain. and if it's true, in all worldlines, all variants are sure to die.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Well to answer that question, yes, death is the only thing guaranteed, at least that is what people say. Yes, even if i haven't literally heard it, we all think is. But looking at it the way Prof. Buzzard did, death is the only thing NOT guaranteed. And definitely agree.

I agree. It is a commonly accepted fact though many do not go around reciting that. But in this story Prof. Buzzard (actually the author through this character) makes the reader doubt about the inevitability of death with the theory of quantum immortality. So the ordinary reader who will agree with this sentence at the beginning of the book may have changed his/her mind at the end of the book.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Honestly, I had never heard anyone saying those lines. But I do agree with the statement. We all going to die one day, but each day we get chance to enjoy life, spread love and kindness. I believe there are many more things in life which are guaranteed. As Gary in his dream were committing murder, so I think the statement is relevant with the many world theory and a good start for the book.

Maybe the quote is relevant to the story because it talks about murders and multiple lives in multiple universes. But if this quantum immortality is for real, then how can Gary's victim can be actually dead? Can't it be another subjective experience for Gary and the victim born again in a different body in a different universe?

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Death, the only thing in life that is guaranteed. That’s what people say and that’s what we all think. However, what if it isn’t?

(Location 26 of Kindle version)

The author gets a start to his story with the above statement. He says that 'people say so'. Do actually people say like that? Do you too think like that? What is the actual relevance of this statement to this story?

I agree with the statement but it isn't complete; there are two things guaranteed—life and death. Dying implies there was a "living." It's what happens during living, though, that often times determines how we die, but the "if" we die was already settled before we were born.

Something should exist first and then only it can be vanished. One should live and then only he can die. But this order is challenged in this story. Gary's possible death (subjective experience to his friends) in one universe gave him a life in another universe. So here we see death coming into play before life appears.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Death is, in fact, the only thing guaranteed in life. However, I don't think that's something people usually say. Even though I guess we can all agree on it.
According to his theory, after every event in life infinite worldlines are created with all the possibilities of how it could have gone. So, there is always going to be a worldline were you are still living. Like, in some worldlines you will die, but in some you won't, which means we would all be immortal. Nevertheless, I don't think this is too relevant for the development of the story, but it's really cool and crazy to think about it.

I think the statement is very much relevant, as its opposite is proven (fictional theory) in the story. After reading this the easily suggestible ones will actually believe it and think that multiple possibilities of day to day scenarios are running in multiple universes. Even a less suggestible one will think, is death actually guaranteed in our lives? Or is there something more or beyond that?

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I don't recall ever hearing anyone say this, but in this context, it adds emphasis to the author's proposal that death may be avoided. I find it intriguing as an opening line.

People do not commonly say this, but many believe this and many would agree with it upon hearing it. As I see, the author has just stated a common fact at the beginning of his book and then woven a story which challenges that fact. So, yes, it is intriguing as an opening line.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

This statement is not entirely true because death is a possibility but as long as we have life, we are guaranteed of seeing the next day. Death is not a guarantee, it is a one time thing but we have life on a daily basis. It is not relevant to the story.

I disagree. It is true that we have our lives and experience it on a daily basis. But no one can be certain about the coming second, the coming moment. You can be gone from this world at any second by any mean. But here the author shows that death is not an end, but a beginning for different possibilities. So though you are dead in current universe, you may have lived longer, or sometimes even forever in some other universe.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Yes, people say that and is evident by how they try to make the most of life and i agree with it because there are many possibilities in life but death is inevitable. In relation to the story, its irrelevant with Gary being able to exist in different worldlines.

I agree. People do various things and try to fulfill various ambitions as they know that death is inevitable and life is short. But what if this quantum immortality is true? Then you won't have to be worried about time being short. Most importantly you do not have to worry in making choices, because in some other universe you will get the opportunity to make a different choice and have a different experience. I see this as a wonderful theory.

[Neshboy Aburi]

Well I think some people say so though am not sure that death is the only guaranteed thing in life.for starters,you actually have to be born and live so you can die.can I also say we are guaranteed a birth and life as humans?
We see people die in the story especially those dying young so I this think the author wanted to make a remote connection to this

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I remember reading this in the earlier part of the book, and I think it's mostly something that the author just wrote to build up suspense in the plot. However, I have heard a joke about the subject: "only two things in life are certain- death, and taxes".

Maybe the author was not much serious about this statement and merely included it to arouse suspension. And I think in that aspect the author did a good job. Any reader who start to read this story will prepare his/her mind for something dark and related to death.

[yomide]

Where I am from people actually believe that death is the only thing in life that is set in stone and guaranteed. It's an actual saying taught to young people when teaching about the concept of life and death. Personally, I believe death is not only inevitable but guaranteed for everyone. However, the author does not seem to believe that death is guaranteed and uses the statement to set a tone for the rest of the content.

Agreed. Adam seem to argue the opposite. Death isn't guaranteed? Man if it isn't I would live like a god. But everyone knows death is an everyday thing. It is very much guaranteed. In fact, it is inevitably guaranteed.

[Feliceness]

Hello,

No, I don't think death is the only thing that is guaranteed. Someone here said life is also guaranteed. Benjamin Franklin said death and taxes are the two things certain in life.

Even in the book, people die even on other worldlines. It never said there was another worldline that takes you into the future or the past. I wonder if Adam Guest will add that to the series?

My understanding is that you live different lives on different worldlines, but it is still the equivalent of one human life....you will age and you will die on all of these worldlines.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Worldlines is a good read. I'm on the second book now!!!

[Chiwelite O]

I think people say this often where I come from. Life is uncertain but, death is sure. It is one fact we all have in common, that humans will one day die. To the second question, was it important to the story? I do not think so, maybe he tried using it to drive home the point.

[Rwill0988]

I know many people, some within my family, who use the expression that the only thing in life that is guaranteed is death. As it links to this book, I think it suggests that no matter what decisions are made in the various worldlines eventually each version of Gary will die. It might be at a different time or a different way but it will still happen.

[Kristy Khem]

I think some people say things like that. I have heard that from quite a few people. It's the kind of thing people say to describe the unpredictability of life. Death is certain. Everything else can be changed. Our lives can follow different paths based on our choices (or lack thereof). And I think that since the story explores different worldlines, then anything could happen. Life can be totally unpredictable. The only thing that remains constant, is death. So, I do think this line is relevant to the story.