> [!abstract] A consistency model where, if all updates stop, the system will eventually converge to a consistent state - but not immediately.
## Strong vs Eventual Consistency
**Strong consistency** (like paying with cash):
- Immediate guarantee
- You hand over money, they have it, you don't
**Eventual consistency** (like paying with card):
- Theoretical future guarantee
- Money will eventually move between accounts
## In Distributed Systems
If all events stopped publishing, eventually all systems would have the same view of the world.
## Tradeoff
There's no solution to avoid this in distributed systems - you must embrace eventual consistency. It's one of the tradeoffs of [[Event Driven Architecture]].
## Sources
[[x_Sources/Videos/Video - Build An Event Driven System - NDC Oslo 2024|Build An Event Driven System - James Eastham (NDC Oslo 2024)]]