--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The present moment is the definition of…" description: "\"“The present moment is the definition of eternity. It has never not been the present moment. This isn't scriptural or unscriptural - it is merely a log..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/john-kuypers-25219_eternity_the-present-moment-is-the-definition-of_532669.jpg" --- # The present moment is the definition of eternity. It has… ![“The present moment is the definition of eternity. It has never not been the present moment. This isn't scriptural or unscriptural - it is merely a logical fact.” quote by John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/john-kuypers-25219_eternity_the-present-moment-is-the-definition-of_532669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/john-kuypers-25219_eternity_the-present-moment-is-the-definition-of_532669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/john-kuypers-25219_eternity_the-present-moment-is-the-definition-of_532669.jpg) > ““The present moment is the definition of eternity. It has never not been the present moment. This isn't scriptural or unscriptural - it is merely a logical fact.”” [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The present moment is eternally the now; it is a logical truth, not a theological claim. **In simple terms:** Now is always now; it's a fact. Key Takeaway Live in the present. Themes time philosophy mindfulness logic eternity Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation practice - daily routines - philosophical discussions Key Concepts presentism temporal reality consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing each moment as eternal affect your choices? - Can this view coexist with belief in progress? A Different Perspective Viewing time as static can ignore change and growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Non judgmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-judgmental/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Self-improvement-book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-improvement-book/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Your private self must become the same as your public self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/your-private-self-must-become-the-same-as-your-public-self/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/destines-them-to-eternity-he-therefore-i-believe-wants-them-to-attend/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/for-the-present-is-the-point-at-which-time-touches-eternity-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Learning how to recognize and act on your Inner Knowing is the greatest tool for discovering what's important now by living in the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/learning-how-to-recognize-and-act-on-your-inner-knowing-is-the/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-moment-to-moment-non-judgmental-awareness-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [This was the definition of eternity; it was the space of time devised by the Great God Om to ensure that everyone got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-was-the-definition-of-eternity-it-was-the-space-of-time-devised/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The definition of eternity is two people and a ham.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/the-definition-of-eternity-is-two-people-and-a-ham/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [One definition of eternity is that we are not alone on this planet, that there are those who've gone before and those who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/one-definition-of-eternity-is-that-we-are-not-alone-on-this-planet/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [“Let us look a little more closely at what is implied by change. 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Instead, we focus on controlling ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/to-not-judge-is-to-be-like-a-peach-we-shrink-our-space-by-giving-up/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“One of the greatest joys of not judging others is becoming capable of discerning God's will in a difficult situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/one-of-the-greatest-joys-of-not-judging-others-is-becoming-capable-of/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [Meditation is meeting eternity in the present moment. It is resolving every problem as it comes. It is resolving every tension as it creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vimala-thakar/meditation-is-meeting-eternity-in-the-present-moment-it-is-resolving/) [Vimala Thakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vimala-thakar/) > [“He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-therefore-i-believe-wants-them-to-attend-chiefly-to-two-things-to/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-humans-live-in-time-but-our-enemy-destines-them-to-eternity-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Kuypers > [“We cannot let go of the past enough to live in the present unless we are able to grieve our losses. We must deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/we-cannot-let-go-of-the-past-enough-to-live-in-the-present-unless-we/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“To not judge is to be like a peach. We shrink our space by giving up controlling others. Instead, we focus on controlling ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/to-not-judge-is-to-be-like-a-peach-we-shrink-our-space-by-giving-up/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“In order to live in the present, we have to learn how to feel safe even when a situation feels threatening to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/in-order-to-live-in-the-present-we-have-to-learn-how-to-feel-safe/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“...as long as you are motivated by the approval of others, you cannot know with confidence whether the decisions you are making in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/as-long-as-you-are-motivated-by-the-approval-of-others-you-cannot/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“The Paradox of Change: People can only change when they feel accepted as they are now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/the-paradox-of-change-people-can-only-change-when-they-feel-accepted/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“When you are living in the present, you know what's important now for you and you act on that knowing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/when-you-are-living-in-the-present-you-know-what-s-important-now-for/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“A judgment with an evil design comes about when we compare a person to our pre-conceived beliefs about what is right or wrong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/a-judgment-with-an-evil-design-comes-about-when-we-compare-a-person/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [The present is what is happening when you strip away all the resentments of your past and all the worries you have about your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/the-present-is-what-is-happening-when-you-strip-away-all-the/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“When you are present, you are not needy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/when-you-are-present-you-are-not-needy/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“Learning how to recognize and act on your Inner Knowing is the greatest tool for discovering what's important now by living in the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/learning-how-to-recognize-and-act-on-your-inner-knowing-is-the/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“Each of us is the best we can be when we are fully present, focused yet relaxed, curious yet non-judgmental, committed yet flexible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/each-of-us-is-the-best-we-can-be-when-we-are-fully-present-focused/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [In its highest form, not judging is the ultimate act of forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/in-its-highest-form-not-judging-is-the-ultimate-act-of-forgiveness/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“Your private self must become the same as your public self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/your-private-self-must-become-the-same-as-your-public-self/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“To live in the present, you need to act or accept but never stay stuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/to-live-in-the-present-you-need-to-act-or-accept-but-never-stay-stuck/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“If you first take a minute, an hour or a month to let go of feeling annoyed, frustrated or critical of the person or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/if-you-first-take-a-minute-an-hour-or-a-month-to-let-go-of-feeling/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) [Explore all 23 John Kuypers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) ## More Eternity quotes > [“I believe in forever, and that’s what you and I are. We define eternity. This may sound cheesy, but you make me go there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/i-believe-in-forever-and-that-s-what-you-and-i-are-we-define-eternity/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [“Please not yet. Those are the three eternal words. Please not yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/please-not-yet-those-are-the-three-eternal-words-please-not-yet/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [If I have a system it is limited to a recognition of what Kierkegaard called 'the infinite qualitative distinction' between time and eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/if-i-have-a-system-it-is-limited-to-a-recognition-of-what-kierkegaard/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [I think we all have a core that's ecstatic, that knows and that looks up in wonder. We all know that there are marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-barks/i-think-we-all-have-a-core-that-s-ecstatic-that-knows-and-that-looks/) [Coleman Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleman-barks/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [What does the future, that half of time, matter to the man who is infatuated with eternity?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/what-does-the-future-that-half-of-time-matter-to-the-man-who-is/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You've decided to love me for eternity, I'm still deciding who I want to be today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/you-ve-decided-to-love-me-for-eternity-i-m-still-deciding-who-i-want/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [You may have some friends that come and go, but having a friend like God will last forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-tillmon/you-may-have-some-friends-that-come-and-go-but-having-a-friend-like/) [Alyssa Tillmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-tillmon/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Browse all 3,482 Eternity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The present moment is the definition of eternity. 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