Eckhart Tolle

[Borachio]

Link to video.

It seems to me that this man is saying:

• Unhappiness is primarily due not to circumstances themselves, but what you think about them;
• The way to stop thinking - for a brief time - is to become aware of the present moment;
• There are three ways of doing this:
  • Being aware of the in and out of breathing
  • Being aware of your internal bodily sensations
  • Being aware of the world around you through the senses

So, is this what he's saying?

And is what he's saying true?

 

[Core Imposter]

Nutcase. Fruitcake. Meathead. Con. Man.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Nutcase. Fruitcake. Meathead. Con. Man.

Said the man who believes in fairy tales.

Anyways, I'm all for stressed people breathing in and out. Do I think happiness is a virtue to live for? No.

 

[Borachio]

Nutcase. Fruitcake. Meathead. Con. Man.

Shall I take that as a "no", then?

Do I think happiness is a virtue to live for? No.

Do you think unhappiness is something to be avoided, if possible?

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Do you think unhappiness is something to be avoided, if possible?

I think true happiness is a byproduct of authenticity. Playing head games are fine and dandy, if they keep you out of a vegetative state, but they're still mind games and I prefer using them to buy more time and save emotional currency as I get my actual situation in order.

 

[Borachio]

I see (I think).

But I asked about unhappiness.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

I see (I think).

But I asked about unhappiness.

Ahh, that evaded me somehow. Skimming a little too much.

I think it depends on what you mean by unhappiness. Unhappiness from a specific event like not having enough money to go to an event? Things like that happen, and adults deal with them. Unhappiness from never having money to go to events? That's unhappiness resulting from the structure of your life and would be best to deal with them, but also deal with the circumstances that leave you with no money to do anything.

 

[Core Imposter]

People who are having mental/emotional problems or just suffering from too much stress often suffer ideation disorder. Ideation is the formation of new thought as opposed to looped thinking in which an individual has fixated on a particular thorn and continuously dwell on it. This can actually damage the brain.

Meditation is one of a number of tricks used in distracting the individual and breaking the looped thought process. Getting your mind off it. And allowing for the new ideas to form, in other words, providing an opportunity for normal brain activity to kick in. Another method is electric shock therapy. Drugs of all sorts, etc.

The problem I have is with people who take it, to the point where you are portraying it as more than it is, for a buck, and are actually preying on people who are distressed.

Thats when it becomes a con game.

 

[Borachio]

Tolle seems to be saying that unhappiness is due primarily to what I think:
- I want to go to an event, I can't go to an event because I have no money;
- I want to go to events, I never have money to go to events.

According to Tolle, I think, I'm missing the present moment, by focusing on future events, when really I only ever exist in the present moment. And this focusing, obsessively, on the future, or the past, is making me unhappy.

edit: Ah, Mr Cooper, you put it nicely, in a way, I think. But why do you think Tolle is a conman? I honestly don't know much about him.

 

[Murky]

His basic idea is not really that new it's just presented in a "new age" way. He's mainly pointing out that if you dwell on all your past mistakes in life you'll be miserable but if you live for now and try to make the best choices now you'll be happier and healthier. Makes sense. I wouldn't join a cult or anything, but the basic idea is sound psychology. Depression experts refer to it as "rumination" and it can make your symptoms worse.

 

[warpus]

According to Tolle, I think, I'm missing the present moment, by focusing on future events, when really I only ever exist in the present moment. And this focusing, obsessively, on the future, or the past, is making me unhappy.

There is a lot of truth in this.

A lot of people live in the past and/or in the future, instead of living in the moment. And sure, you can think back to good memories if they make you smile or make plans for the next month.. But a lot of people take this to the extreme and end up dwelling on the past as well as what is going to happen in the future.

The past and the future are inaccessible; you can only affect the present. So you might as well live in it. Enjoy the moment!

I mean, the past is important because we must learn from it.. and the future is important because it awaits us. But our actions are only applicable to the present, so we might as well try to focus on that.

Seems a bit Buddhisty to me, maybe even?

 

[Global Skeptic]

It can be understood this way when looking at the word and verb be. A is A is so by virtue of how human thinking works, the law of identity. A is B is either a fact, the cat is black or a social/cognitive construct, poverty is bad. In other words be as is changes because not all variants of is are the same for A is A and A is B and can be shown in this manner - bad is bad can be understood as A is A, but also A is B, namely bad is something I don't like to happen. But if this bad is a result of how I think, then it will stop being bad, when I stop thinking like that.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Seems a bit Buddhisty to me, maybe even?

More than a bit.

 

[Borachio]

Yes, it's very Buddhisty (is that a word?).

One of the things I found confusing about Buddhism is that of suffering: Man is everywhere suffering.

"Very strange", thought I. "I'm not particularly suffering, I don't think. Certainly not very much, and not most of the time."

But Tolle seems to be equating "suffering" with this constant chit-chat in my head.

Buddhism, it looks like to me, says that the "cause of suffering is ignorance".

Tolle appears to say that the cause of unhappiness (= suffering) is ignoring - or being unaware of, because too concentrated on thinking - the present moment.

Is this right?


Link to video.

Tell me, is this mumbo-jumbo?

 

[Kozmos]

Tolle is just regurgitated, half=digested Buddhism for Westerners. Not that I disapprove of Buddhist precepts (in fact meditation helped me a great deal with my insanities) but of a guy being worshiped for discovering warm water.

 

[Borachio]

Oh. Is Tolle being worshipped?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm sorry, but I tried to listen to that man, and just can't. After 15 minutes I looked at the slider and it said: 1:15. I can't bear a man who's capable of warping time like that.

Needless to say I won't comment on the content, since I am already incredibly biased against this real live Neo, I'll disagree with anything he states.

 

[Borachio]

Ooer!

You mean if I listen to him for 1 year and 3 months, it will seem like 15 years? Sounds cool to me.

What's a real live Neo? Is that a Matrix reference? I don't know it. edit: apparently it is - one of these days I shall get round to watching the film. Maybe.

Still, your reaction wasn't what I was expecting.

 

[Janig]

I think you could use some homosexual friends who arent totally comfortable with their sexuality. You respond positively to the posts which use non-gender specific terms, and worst when you talk about him him him. I find that sexually repressed homos often excell at expressing themselves in gender-neutral terms, therefor you might want to check out your local gaybar. Alternatively you could try a philosophy course; I studied philosophy for years, and theres a lot of gays there too.

 

[Borachio]

Well!

That's says a lot about either me, or you. I really don't know which.

Is any of it true, do you think?

But why "homosexual friends who aren't totally comfortable with their sexuality"? That's quite a curious thing to say, in my opinion.

Are you suggesting that because I'm not totally comfortable with my sexuality (btw I am; but of course you don't know that - nor do you know, I imagine, what my sexual orientation is), then I'd be more at home with others who are also not comfortable?

So, if I was a nervous car driver, say, I'd be more comfortable being driven by another nervous driver? I haven't found this to be the case.