Eckhart TolleNYT Bestselling author of the Power of Now

Humanity Is a Work in Progress

5 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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1:25

In this brief monologue, Eckhart Tolle asserts that humanity is not a static, finished product but an ongoing work in progress. He emphasizes that this continual evolution is essential; without it, the current dysfunctions embedded in both collective and individual consciousness would become permanent and unchangeable, which he deems terrible. Tolle points to the deep history of life on Earth, noting a gradual, millennia‑spanning increase in consciousness that allows life forms to become increasingly complex and aware. This evolutionary perspective frames the present moment as part of a larger, positive trajectory toward greater consciousness.

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Humanity is not a finished product. It's a work in progress. That's the good news. If humanity were not a work in progress, that would be terrible. That means the collective consciousness as it is now would not evolve anymore, and all the dysfunction that is built into the collective consciousness, but also of course into each individual consciousness, all that dysfunction would be part of human nature. They will never change. That would be terrible. But there is, if you look at the history of the planet, the history of life on the planet going back millions of years, there's no doubt that there is a gradual evolution of consciousness that enables the life forms on this planet to gradually become more complex, more gradually become more conscious.