Present moment Quote by Ken Wilber
““Because we demand a future, we live each moment in expectation and unfulfillment. We live each moment in passing. In just this way the real nunc stans, the timeless present, is reduced to the nunc fluens, the fleeting present, the passing present of a mere one or two seconds. We expect each moment to pass on to a future moment, for in this fashion we pretend to avoid death by always rushing toward an imagined future. We want to meet ourselves in the future. We don’t want just now—we want another now, and another, and another, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. And thus, paradoxically, our impoverished present is fleeting precisely because we demand that it end! We want it to end so that it can thereby pass on to yet another moment, a future moment, which will in turn live only to pass.””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Theory of Everything, Ken Wilber, 2000
We constantly chase future moments, turning the present into a fleeting, unfulfilled experience, which paradoxically erodes its richness.
In simple terms: Chasing future empties the present.
Key Takeaway
Live fully in the now.
Themes
presence
mindfulness
temporal perception
existentialism
Mood
reflective
contemplative
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Meditation practice
- therapy sessions
- creative work
- daily routines
Key Concepts
Phenomenology
psychology
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your expectation of the future shape your present actions?
- What would change if you embraced the present without seeking escape?
A Different Perspective
The future is uncertain; focusing solely on it can cause anxiety.
