All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time… it sounds simple, but it’s a game-changer. This idea from Eckhart Tolle flips the script on why we suffer, pointing the finger not at our circumstances, but at our own minds. Let’s break down what that really means for you and me.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means that our negative emotions—anxiety, anger, resentment—aren’t caused by actual events. They’re self-generated by our mind’s habit of living anywhere but the present moment.
Explanation
Okay, so let’s get into the weeds on this. “Psychological time” is the killer here. It’s not the clock time you need to schedule a meeting. It’s the mind’s obsession with reliving past hurts or anxiously projecting into a future that doesn’t exist yet. It’s that mental movie reel of “what they did to me” or the constant worry about “what might go wrong.”
When you’re trapped in that, you are literally denying the reality of the present moment, which is the only place where life actually happens. And that denial, that resistance to what is, creates a low-grade friction in your psyche. That friction is negativity. It’s a tension between the now and the story your mind is telling. The anger isn’t about the traffic jam itself; it’s about your mind’s story that this “shouldn’t be happening” and that it’s going to make you late, which is a story about the future. See how it works?
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Category | Emotion (177) |
| Topics | presence (80), time (59) |
| Literary Style | didactic (370), philosophical (434) |
| Emotion / Mood | realistic (354) |
| Overall Quote Score | 81 (258) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Eckhart Tolle’s 1997 book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. It’s a foundational text in modern spirituality. You sometimes see similar ideas floating around, but this specific phrasing is Tolle’s. It came out of his own profound personal transformation, which is a fascinating story in itself.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Eckhart Tolle (45) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (45) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Contemporary (1615) |
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Eckhart Tolle, born in Germany in 1948, became widely known after his transformative insights at age 29 led him to teach about presence and inner stillness. He later settled in Vancouver and wrote The Power of Now and A New Earth, which topped bestseller lists and inspired millions. He collaborates with major platforms, hosts retreats, and shares teachings through his online portal. The
| Official Website | Facebook | X| Instagram | YouTube
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1997; ISBN: 978-1577314806; Last Edition: New World Library Edition (2004); Number of Pages: 229 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 3: Moving Deeply Into the Now, Page 63 |