Eckhart TolleNYT Bestselling author of the Power of Now

Gratitude for Suffering? with Eckhart Tolle

30 Aug 2025

Watch on YouTube

A short excerpt from a YouTube video titled "Gratitude for Suffering? with Eckhart Tolle" in which a single speaker argues that human consciousness has evolved slowly but now can consciously cooperates in entering a new evolutionary stage. The speaker says suffering served a function in personal growth, many people would not be who they are without past suffering, and therefore one can be thankful for suffering — 'you need suffering until you don't.'

In the past, evolution has happened very, very slowly. A gradual increase in consciousness through multiple life forms over millions of years. And now, for the first time, a life form can consciously cooperate in entering a new stage, a new evolutionary stage, a new state of consciousness. But you needed the suffering. It has had a function. And many of you know that you would not be here if you had not gone through states of unhappiness and varying degrees of suffering. So let's be really thankful. You need suffering until you don't.