History Main / TheThreeCertaintiesInLife

See also: RuleOfThree, TheTriple, and TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers. Compare: ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld.

* According to an old saying (which eschews TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers format, and yet is clearly related to this trope), a ProperLady's name only appears in the newspaper on three occasions: when she is born, when she gets married, and when she dies.

* An old adage among comic book fans is, "There are only three people who [[ComicBookDeath stay dead in Comics]]: [[Franchise/SpiderMan Ben Parker]], [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Jason Todd]], and [[Franchise/CaptainAmerica Bucky Barnes]]." [[SubvertedTrope The fact that two out of three have come back to life should tell you all you need to know about death in comics.]]

See Also: RuleOfThree, TheTriple, and TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers. Compare with: ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld.

The Three Certainties In Life can either be a [[ComedyTropes Stock Joke]] or a {{Stock Phrase|s}} that is mostly inspired by the quote often attributed to Creator/BenjaminFranklin, "Nothing is certain but [[WeAllDieSomeday death]] and [[IntimidatingRevenueServices taxes]]."

The Three Certainties In Life can either be a [[ComedyTropes Stock Joke]] or a {{Stock Phrase|s}} that is mostly inspired by the quote often attributed to Creator/BenjaminFranklin, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes."

* In ''Literature/ReaperMan'', everyone in Sheepridge suspects that Mr Bill Door is probably a revenuer. When Miss Flitworth tells Bill Door this, his response is [[TheGrimReaper NO. NOT TAXES]].

-->'''Birch Barlow:''' You know, there are three things we're never going to get rid of here in Springfield: one, the bats in the public library...\\

* Wiki/TVTropes describes {{shipping}} as one of the fundamental forces of nature, along with Death and Taxes.

The Three Certainties In Life can either be a [[ComedyTropes Stock Joke]] or a {{Stock Phrase|s}} that is mostly inspired by the quote often attributed to Creator/BenjaminFranklin, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." After all, statistics and whatnot leave people with immortality apparently nowhere to be found, and with it quite common that one must give up something to get something.

''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Three things are certain in life]]: death, taxes, and people understanding what this trope is about by the time they finish this sentence.''

The Three Certainties In Life can either be a [[ComedyTropes Stock Joke]] or a {{Stock Phrase|s}} that is mostly inspired by the quote often attributed to Creator/BenjaminFranklin, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes."

Occasionally, someone may list three things ''without'' "death" or "taxes" being one of them. In this regard, "birth and death" is a commonly seen variant. Another popular wordswap is "nothing is infinite but the universe and human stupidity, and [[HumansAreMorons I'm not too sure about the universe...]]"

* ''Film/CheaperByTheDozen'' has a variant. Hank notes, "All I'm saying is families are inevitable; they're like death or taxes."

* Wiki/TVTropes describes {{Shipping}} as one of the fundamental forces of nature, along with Death and Taxes.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts," [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Birch Barlow]] declares:

* The [[CouchGag intro billboard]] for "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS21E18ChiefOfHearts Chief of Hearts]]" is [[https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1L6vx3ZA-Q/Wcbm4mAof0I/AAAAAAAA1ic/B6jFMR3ymwsxWQYcHeVSAbKT4NugW6zYQCLcBGAs/s640/The-Simpsons-Los-mejores-billboard-gags-2.jpg a picture]] of Mr. Burns with the text "DEATH AND TAXES: TWO THINGS I AVOID".

* A gag on ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances'' once compared being invited to one of Hyacinth Buck... err... [[ItIsPronouncedTroPAY Bouquet's]] candlelight suppers to the inevitability of death and taxes.

->''There are three certainties in life: Death, Taxes, and [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TV Tropes Ruining Your Life]].''

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts," [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Birch]] [[Radio/RushLimbaugh Barlow]] declares:

* [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfStuart Charles II]] is alleged to have said, "There are three things in life that are certain: death, taxes, and [[UsefulNotes/BritishWeather that it is raining in]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWestCountry Tavistock]]."
* An old adage among comic book fans is, "There are only three people who [[ComicBookDeath stay dead in Comics]]: [[Franchise/SpiderMan Ben Parker,]] [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Jason Todd,]] [[Franchise/CaptainAmerica and Bucky Barnes.]]" [[SubvertedTrope The fact that two out of three have come back to life should tell you all you need to know about death in comics.]]

* [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/33418051/chapters/83011447 Two steps To The Left - A Waltz]] has two in-narration examples in its first chapter:

--> The sky is blue.\\
Grass is green.\\
Homura suffers for an eternity.\\
These three things, these three Universal Laws, make up the life and not-death of Homura Akemi. They govern how she thinks, moves, breathes, pulls the trigger, swings a sword, casts magic. These Laws govern what she does day-to-day, who she speaks to, where she goes.

* In ''Literature/ReaperMan'', Death is forced into retirement as "Bill Door". When people assume he's a taxman, Bill's response is "[[EntertaininglyWrong No, not taxes]]."

* On ''Series/LastWeekTonight'', host Creator/JohnOliver's introduction to a topic on death began, "Death, it's one of the few things you can't avoid, along with taxes and plugging in a flash drive upside-down on the first try."

* In a 1993 story arc involving an inter-promotional feud between the Wrestling/{{WWE}} and USWA, Wrestling/VinceMcMahon cut a promo in which he said that the three guarantees in life were [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3mGNF1cLg Death, Taxes, and Randy Savage.]]

* A vintage Sunday ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' comic strip where Lucy, holding a football, challenged Charlie Brown to name three things that are certain. Charlie Brown guessed Death and Taxes but drew a blank at the third...until Lucy pulled the football away. "It was so obvious, Charlie Brown."

* On ''Series/LastWeekTonight'', host Creator/JohnOliver's introduction to a topic on death was, "Death, it's one of the few things you can't avoid, along with taxes and plugging in a flash drive upside-down on the first try."