The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the ego afraid of? What drives the ego’s pursuit of superiority? According to Eckhart Tolle, the ego’s main fear of being nothing drives us to seek superiority. But the pursuit of superiority won’t eliminate the fear of ego because there will always be someone better. Here’s why chasing superiority is a futile pursuit, according to spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle.
What exactly is the ego? How does the ego give rise to one’s self? According to Eckhart Tolle, “ego” is the part of your mind that comments, doubts, and speculates on everything. The ego is driven by fear of being nothing, which it tries to alleviate through identification with material, thought, and emotional elements, giving rise to what you think of as your “self.” Here’s how spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle explains the concept of the ego and how it gives rise to the self and identity.
What exactly is the self? Where does our sense of self come from? According to Eckhart Tolle, the self arises as a result of the ego’s attempt to eliminate its fear of being nothing by collecting and identifying with material, thought, and emotional elements. Gaining elements alleviates the fear of being nothing because it gives the ego an identity—something to call “me,” “mine,” and “my story.” These elements and our social standing form the mental image most people conjure up when they think of the “self.” In this article, we’ll explore the elements of self and how they relate
What exactly is the inner self? How do you connect to your inner self? According to Eckhart Tolle, your inner self is pure conscious energy. Connecting with your inner self, rather than the false self-image created by the ego, is the key to achieving a state of perpetual mindfulness. When we’re connected with our inner self, we’re always in a state of mindfulness. Here’s how spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle explains the elusive concept of the inner self and why realizing it is the ultimate purpose of human life.
Are you trying to improve your relationship? What’s the best relationship advice for women to take to heart? Relationships can be difficult, especially when men don’t always express what they want or need. There are also high societal expectations for the role women should fill in a relationship. These issues can be solved by following the best relationship advice for women who want to satisfy both themselves and their partners. Let’s look at relationship advice for women that promotes a happy, healthy relationship.
Why is it so hard to simply be in the present moment? Why do we always seek to drown the present in thinking and activity? If you’ve ever tried to meditate, you should know how hard it is to simply be in the present moment. When you have nothing to do, the mind begins to invent all kinds of scenarios, which rarely lead anywhere good. According to spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, we resist the present because we are caught up in the endless cycle of wanting—no matter what we have, we will always want more. Here’s why the mind wants
How do thoughts affect behavior? How does overidentifying with thought cause suffering and dysfunction? According to Eckhart Tolle, thought is at the root of human dysfunction. In his book A New Earth, he explains that our thought elements shape how we interact with the world and lead to two forms of dysfunction: 1) inauthentic relationships, and 2) polarization and violence. Here’s why identifying with our thought elements is harmful to both ourselves and others around us.
Do you struggle with mindfulness? Why is it so difficult to stop the never-ending stream of consciousness and simply be mindful of what is happening in the present moment? Being present in the moment is the key to relieving dissatisfaction and anxiety, but our thinking mind prevents us from being present. We have this compulsion to always be consumed in thought—worrying, ruminating, and mind-wandering. According to Eckhart Tolle, mindfulness is difficult because we are caught up in the cycle of wanting. It’s hard to stay mindful in the present moment when you want things to be different than they currently
Why do we feel compelled to eat the entire serving of lasagna? Why do we like the paint brand that has our favorite baseball player in its commercials? Why do we remember our first kiss better than what happened last week? We’re all prone to cognitive biases—quirks of the mind that distort reality in one way or another. These biases don’t adhere to logic or rational thinking. Our faulty perception gets in the way. We don’t see things as they truly are, and we often act on these misperceptions. We all can benefit from recognizing and understanding these biases. Here’s
What exactly do psychologists mean by “social roles”? How does adhering to social roles alter behavior? In psychology, social roles refer to behavioral expectations of people of a given social status, relationship, or occupation. One of the most noteworthy findings is that social roles can make people behave very out of character and even override personality dispositions. Keep reading to learn how people’s behavior and relationships are impacted by social roles.