--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it not the singularity of life that…" description: "\"“Is it not the singularity of life that terrifies us? Is not the decisive difference between comedy and tragedy that tragedy denies us another chance? ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/john-updike-396_another-chance_is-it-not-the-singularity-of-life-that-t_237735.png" --- # Is it not the singularity of life that terrifies us? Is… ![“Is it not the singularity of life that terrifies us? Is not the decisive difference between comedy and tragedy that tragedy denies us another chance? Shakespeare over and over demonstrates life’s singularity — the irrevocability of our decisions, hasty and even mad though they be. How solemn and…” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/john-updike-396_another-chance_is-it-not-the-singularity-of-life-that-t_237735.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/john-updike-396_another-chance_is-it-not-the-singularity-of-life-that-t_237735.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/john-updike-396_another-chance_is-it-not-the-singularity-of-life-that-t_237735.png) > ““Is it not the singularity of life that terrifies us? Is not the decisive difference between comedy and tragedy that tragedy denies us another chance? Shakespeare over and over demonstrates life’s singularity — the irrevocability of our decisions, hasty and even mad though they be. How solemn and huge and deeply pathetic our life does loom in its once-and doneness, how inexorably linear, even though our rotating, revolving planet offers us the cycles of the day and of the year to suggest that existence is intrinsically cyclical, a playful spin, and that there will always be, tomorrow morning or the next, another chance.”” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s uniqueness and the finality of our choices create both awe and dread, contrasting comedy’s repeatability with tragedy’s irrevocability. **In simple terms:** Life is unique and choices are final. Key Takeaway Embrace the weight of decisions. Themes existence choice tragedy comedy Mood thoughtful melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - philosophical debate Key Concepts existentialism fatalism human condition Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning in irreversible choices? - Can humor soften the fear of finality? 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