Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle is best known for his teachings on mindfulness, consciousness, and the nature of the self. His work emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and his belief that much of human suffering stems from the way we think about the past and future. In the passage from his bestselling book “A New Earth” that contains this quote, Tolle explains that the factual aspects of any situation are neutral and unchanging. Our thoughts about a situation, however, exist independently of the facts and are responsible for the emotions we experience. Tolle believes our unhappiness is fueled by these narratives we construct. By focusing on the neutral, unchanging facts of our circumstances, we can empower ourselves to take meaningful action and liberate ourselves from the unhappiness caused by our thoughts.