“Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome. Since the present moment is life itself, it is an insane way to live.” – Eckhart Tolle
That quote from Eckhart Tolle is a profound reminder about presence and mindfulness. Let’s break it down:
- “Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome.”
- This points to how humans often live mentally in the past or future. We worry about what’s coming or dwell on what’s gone, treating the “now” as inconvenient or insufficient.
- Neuroscience backs this up: the default mode network (DMN) in our brain is active during mind-wandering, self-referential thought, and rumination. This is why we often “miss” life as it happens.
- “Since the present moment is life itself…”
- The present is all we truly experience—our sensations, emotions, and thoughts occur only in this moment.
- Mindfulness practices actually train the brain to focus attention on the now, which has been shown to reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and even strengthen neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex (enhancing focus and self-control).
- “…it is an insane way to live.”
- Tolle is highlighting the paradox: we spend most of our lives running from the very thing we are—the present.
- Psychologically, this avoidance contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction, and a constant sense of “not enough.”
In short: life doesn’t happen in the past or future—it happens in the now. Fighting it is like trying to swim upstream in your own river of experience.
