Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability

READING TIME: 2 MINUTES

Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability

In this TED talk, Brené Brown, who has been studying vulnerability for the last two decades, teaches us about how to lead a wholehearted and more meaningful life. 

Brown reviewed her research and spent years trying to understand how whole-hearted people, who live from a deep sense of worthiness, were making decisions and what choices they were making in life. “What are we doing with vulnerability? Why do we struggle with it so much? Am I alone in struggling with vulnerability?” Here is what she learned. 

We numb vulnerability — when we’re waiting for the call. It was funny, I sent something out on Twitter and on Facebook that says, “How would you define vulnerability? What makes you feel vulnerable?” And within an hour and a half, I had 150 responses. Because I wanted to know what’s out there. Having to ask my husband for help because I’m sick, and we’re newly married; initiating sex with my husband; initiating sex with my wife; being turned down; asking someone out; waiting for the doctor to call back; getting laid off; laying off people — this is the world we live in. We live in a vulnerable world. And one of the ways we deal with it is we numb vulnerability.

[…]

One of the things that I think we need to think about is why and how we numb. And it doesn’t just have to be addiction. The other thing we do is we make everything that’s uncertain certain. Religion has gone from a belief in faith and mystery to certainty. I’m right, you’re wrong. Shut up. That’s it. Just certain. The more afraid we are, the more vulnerable we are, the more afraid we are. This is what politics looks like today. There’s no discourse anymore. There’s no conversation. There’s just blame. You know how blame is described in the research? A way to discharge pain and discomfort. We perfect. If there’s anyone who wants their life to look like this, it would be me, but it doesn’t work. Because what we do is we take fat from our butts and put it in our cheeks. (Laughter) Which just, I hope in 100 years, people will look back and go, “Wow.”

And we perfect, most dangerously, our children. Let me tell you what we think about children. They’re hardwired for struggle when they get here. And when you hold those perfect little babies in your hand, our job is not to say, “Look at her, she’s perfect. My job is just to keep her perfect — make sure she makes the tennis team by fifth grade and Yale by seventh grade.” That’s not our job. Our job is to look and say, “You know what? You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” That’s our job. Show me a generation of kids raised like that, and we’ll end the problems I think that we see today. We pretend that what we do doesn’t have an effect on people. We do that in our personal lives. We do that corporate — whether it’s a bailout, an oil spill, a recall — we pretend like what we’re doing doesn’t have a huge impact on other people. I would say to companies, this is not our first rodeo, people. We just need you to be authentic and real and say, “We’re sorry. We’ll fix it.”

But there’s another way, and I’ll leave you with this. This is what I have found: to let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee — and that’s really hard, and I can tell you as a parent, that’s excruciatingly difficult — to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we’re wondering, “Can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? Can I be this fierce about this?” just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, “I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive.”

Still curious and want to learn more? Brown is also the author of several great books including Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead.

610 comments

  • I was skeptical at first about using a recovery service, but after reading so many horror stories online, I realized I was out of options. My Bitcoin had been stolen through a fraudulent exchange, and I thought it was gone for good. But then I found Dexdert Net Pro Recovery, and it was the best decision I ever made. From the first phone call, their team was not only reassuring but also incredibly knowledgeable about the technicalities involved in tracing lost crypto. What stood out the most was how they explained the entire process to me—step-by-step—in a way I could understand, despite not being a tech expert. The recovery took a little over a week, but I was kept in the loop with regular updates and progress reports. They recovered my full amount, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their hard work and dedication. If you find yourself in a similar situation, do not hesitate to contact Dexdert Net Pro Recovery . They are the real deal.
    Telegram:(@Dexdertprorecovery)

    Email:(DexdertNetPro@mail.com)

    Sophia Ava
  • HOW I LOST MY ENTIRE LIFE SAVINGS INVESTING IN BITCOIN AND CRYPTO INVESTMENT

    I was lured into crypto investment by a broker I met on Instagram, who convinced me of the huge opportunity and profit I could make from investing and buying cryptos, I was naive with little to no knowledge about crypto and how it all works. I ended up losing all my life savings and everything to my name after investing more than a million into this scheme. I was bankrupt and paying back loans I had took to invest, until a business associate of mine told me about MorphoHack Cybersecurity service that can help me recover my investment funds and secure my account as well, At first I was a bit doubtful but I gave it a try and contacted them, Morphohack was very patient with me and was very professional in assisting me recover my investment funds, I was able to get back all the money I had invested into this scheme with my profits along with it. I’m highly grateful for their service and recommend them to anyone who lost their assets to fake investment schemes. They can be reached via the following;
    E-Mail: MorphoHack@cyberservices . com
    Whats App: (+1) 2 1 3. 6 7 2. 4 0 9 2
    Web Site: MORPHOHACK . WIXSITE . COM/CYBER

    Nico Henk
  • When it comes to recovering cryptocurrency funds SPYHOST CYBER SERVICE is without a doubt the greatest..
    I highly recommend SPYHOST CYBER SERVICE for anyone facing the unfortunate situation of stolen Bitcoin. Recently, I had my Bitcoin stolen through an online theft, and SPYHOST CYBER SERVICE played an instrumental role in recovering my assets.
    Their team responded promptly and professionally, conducting a thorough assessment and implementing a detailed action plan to trace and recover the stolen funds. Utilizing advanced blockchain analysis tools and collaborating with cryptocurrency exchanges, they successfully recovered my Bitcoin.
    Throughout the process, their clear and transparent communication kept me informed and reassured. They also provided invaluable post-recovery support, including security audits and practical recommendations to safeguard my digital assets against future threats.
    SPYHOST CYBER SERVICE demonstrated exceptional expertise, dedication, and professionalism. If you need assistance with recovering stolen Bitcoin, SPYHOST CYBER SERVICE is the trusted partner you can rely on and for more enquiries, kindly contact them via ;
    Email: Spyhost@cyberdude.com
    Whatsapp:+1 (228) 313-3152

    James McAvoy
  • Hello Everyone I want to quickly use this medium to share a testimony on how i was directed to a Legit and real illuminati member who have transformed my life from grass to grace, from being poor to a rich woman who can now boast of a healthy and wealthy life without stress or financial difficulties. After so many months of trying to to be a member of the illuminati and was scammed the sum of $3,000 i became so desperate in being a member online who will not add to my pains, then i decided to contact a friend of mine who recently became a member, we discussed about the issue and to our conclusion she told me about a man called Paul mark who is the grand master in the illuminati. So i applied to become a member of illuminati easily without stress and all the preparations were made concerning how to become a member in two(2) days i became a member and the sum of 5 million dollars was deposited into my bank account so i want to advice any one who wants to become a member should call him +2349130700648 or WhatsApp him +2349130700648 or email (illuminatiworldoffamous@gmail.com) he does not know am doing this i pray that lucifer will bless him for the good things he has done in my life ….

    alice albert
  • I want to share an incredible story of redemption and technological prowess that transformed my life after I fell victim to a devastating Bitcoin investment scam.Last year, I was enticed by the promise of high returns from what seemed like a legitimate crypto investment platform. I was so convinced and invested my life savings of $143,000, only to realize weeks later that it was a scam when I couldn’t withdraw my supposed earnings. The platform went silent, and my funds vanished. Feeling helpless and with my savings gone, I scoured the internet for solutions.That’s when I discovered Alpha Spy Nest, a company renowned for their expertise in digital asset recovery. Here’s how they turned my misfortune around. Alpha Spy Nest’s team of blockchain analysts meticulously reviewed my transaction history. They used advanced tracking technologies to follow the trail of my lost Bitcoin through multiple blockchain layers.Their connections with law enforcement and blockchain forensic experts allowed them to identify the scam operation’s tactics. They worked tirelessly, coordinating with international bodies to freeze the assets linked to the scam. After weeks of relentless effort, they located a significant portion of my investment. Alpha Spy Nest managed to recover 90% of my lost funds, which was far beyond what I had hoped for. I am now back on my feet, thanks to the exceptional work of Alpha Spy Nest. Their professionalism, dedication, and transparency throughout the process were unparalleled. If you or someone you know has suffered from a crypto scam, I highly recommend turning to Alpha Spy Nest for help. They not only restored my financial stability but also my faith in the potential for justice in the digital age. Contacts: Email: Alphaspynest@mail.com WhatsApp: ‪+14159714490‬ Telegram: https://t.me/Alphaspynest

    Rohan Zahir

Leave a comment