Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (2005)
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While the child is having a painbody attack, there isn't much you can do except to stay present so that you are not drawn into an emotional reaction. The child's painbody would only feed on it. Painbodies can be extremely dramatic. Don't buy into the drama. Don't take it too seriously. If the painbody was triggered by thwarted wanting, don't give in now to its demands. Otherwise, the child will learn: “The more unhappy I become, the more likely I am to get what I want.” This is a recipe for dysfunction in later life. The painbody will be frustrated by your nonreaction and may briefly act up even more before it subsides. Fortunately, painbody episodes in children are usually more shortlived than in adults.

— Eckhart Tolle on Adult

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "While the child is having a painbody attack, there isn't much you can do except to stay present so that you are not drawn into an emotional reaction. The child's painbody would only feed on it. Painbodies can be extremely dramatic. Don't buy into the drama. Don't take it too seriously. If the painbody was triggered by thwarted wanting, don't give in now to its demands. Otherwise, the child will learn: “The more unhappy I become, the more likely I am to get what I want.” This is a recipe for dysfunction in later life. The painbody will be frustrated by your nonreaction and may briefly act up even more before it subsides. Fortunately, painbody episodes in children are usually more shortlived than in adults." in the context of "Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (2005)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Adult" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Eckhart Tolle

About Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle (born Ulrich Leonard Tölle on 16 February 1948) is a German / Canadian spiritual teacher, motivational speaker, and writer.