Brené Brown Quotes on Vulnerability and Living Authentically
These powerful quotes by renowned author, professor and speaker Brené Brown provide an insight into her research on shame, vulnerability, empathy and connection.
Brown believes that the ability to be vulnerable is essential to overcoming fear and shame, which then opens the door to greater self-love and acceptance.
Brown’s insights are inspiring, empowering and highly relevant for those seeking a more fulfilling life experience. Her work has been featured widely in publications such as Time Magazine, Oprah Magazine and Harvard Business Review, as well as in her five best-selling books.
Brown’s ability to put complex emotional concepts into words is a testament to her brilliance as a researcher and storyteller. Her work has not only changed the way we think about these topics but also inspired many to take risks and take ownership of their own stories.
Brené Brown Quotes
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” Brene Brown
“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” Brene Brown
“For me, the opposite of scarcity is not abundance. It’s enough. I’m enough. My kids are enough.” Brene Brown
“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be our best. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth; it’s a shield.” Brene Brown
“I’ve learned that men and women who are living wholehearted lives really allow themselves to soften into joy and happiness. They allow themselves to experience it.” Brene Brown
“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.” Brene Brown
“I carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet that has written on it the names of people whose opinions of me matter. To be on that list, you have to love me for my strengths and struggles.” Brene Brown
“What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think – or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?” Brene Brown
“I’m just going to say it: I’m pro-guilt. Guilt is good. Guilt helps us stay on track because it’s about our behavior. It occurs when we compare something we’ve done – or failed to do – with our personal values.” Brene Brown
Brené Brown Quotes on Shame
“When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.” Brene Brown
“Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It’s the fear that we’re not good enough.” Brene Brown
“We judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we’re doing.” Brene Brown
“You cannot talk about race without talking about privilege. And when people start talking about privilege, they get paralyzed by shame.” Brene Brown
“Ironically, parenting is a shame and judgment minefield precisely because most of us are wading through uncertainty and self-doubt when it comes to raising our children.” Brene Brown
“As a shame researcher, I know that the very best thing to do in the midst of a shame attack is totally counterintuitive: Practice courage and reach out!” Brene Brown
Brené Brown Quotes on Vulnerability
“Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous.” Brene Brown
“Vulnerability is basically uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” Brene Brown
“Through my research, I found that vulnerability is the glue that holds relationships together. It’s the magic sauce.” Brene Brown
“The moment someone asks you to do something you don’t have the time or inclination to do is fraught with vulnerability.” Brene Brown
“’Crazy-busy’ is a great armor, it’s a great way for numbing. What a lot of us do is that we stay so busy, and so out in front of our life, that the truth of how we’re feeling and what we really need can’t catch up with us.” Brene Brown
“The best marriages are the ones where we can go out in the world and really put ourselves out there. A lot of times we’ll fail, and sometimes we’ll pull it off. But good marriages are when you can go home and know that your vulnerability will be honored as courage, and that you’ll find support.” Brene Brown
“When you stop caring what people think, you lose your capacity for connection. When you’re defined by it, you lose our capacity for vulnerability.” Brene Brown
“Normally, when someone we love is turning away from a struggle, we self-protect by also turning away. That’s definitely my first response. I think change is more likely to happen if both partners have common language and a shared lens to see problems.” Brene Brown
“Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can’t ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment’s notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow – that’s vulnerability.” Brene Brown
Brené Brown Quotes on Leadership
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort: It’s choosing what’s right over what’s fun, fast, or easy, and it’s practicing your values, not just professing them.” Brene Brown
“In my research, I’ve interviewed a lot of people who never fit in, who are what you might call ‘different’: scientists, artists, thinkers. And if you drop down deep into their work and who they are, there is a tremendous amount of self-acceptance.” Brene Brown
“To me, a leader is someone who holds her- or himself accountable for finding potential in people and processes. And so what I think is really important is sustainability.” Brene Brown
“Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you’re not alone.’” Brene Brown
Brené Brown Quotes on Courage
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Brene Brown
“You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” Brene Brown
“There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” Brene Brown
“Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness elicits shame, and so they’re afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of looking weak.” Brene Brown
“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.” Brene Brown
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