Sayings/Death

The process of dying starts at birth. This saying reminds us of our own mortality, whatever our age.

People who are no longer living cannot give evidence.

When we die, all our problems are solved.

In this saying, "Death" is personified as a spiritual being who may call upon us at any time - he has no appointment book. We never know when we will die.

Dying cancels everything, including anything that we owe to other people.

People die at all ages; no one is too young to die.

This is generally taken to imply that we should spend our time and energy on living people, not on dead people. (But see Origin below.)

We may consider dying to be a kind of returning to house and family.

This saying may be seen in three ways: 1) We cannot be 100% sure about anything (except dying and having to pay the taxman - in this case the latter idea being added for humour). 2) We cannot escape taxation (in this case the idea of death serving only to highlight the certainty of taxes). 3) We can be absolutely sure that we will die (in this case the idea of taxes being added for humour). The first interpretation seems to have been the original intent (see Origin below).

We can be 100% sure that we will die.