Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It's the fear that we're not good enough.
Brene BrownRead
Live-tweeting your bikini wax is not vulnerability. Nor is posting a blow-by-blow of your divorce . That's an attempt to hot-wire connection. But you can't cheat real connection. It's built up slowly. It's about trust and time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True vulnerability involves deep emotional connection built over time, not superficial sharing of personal experiences.
Brene Brown emphasizes that real vulnerability is about establishing genuine connections through trust and emotional depth. Simply sharing personal experiences, like live-tweeting a bikini wax or detailing a divorce, does not equate to true vulnerability; rather, these actions may be attempts to engage others without the necessary emotional investment that authentic relationships require.
Themes
VulnerabilityConnectionTrustRelationshipsAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on emotional intelligence, this quote could illustrate the importance of building genuine connections.
More from Brene Brown
All quotes →I think our capacity for wholeheartedness can never be greater than our willingness to be broken-hearted. It means engaging with the world from a place of vulnerability and worthiness.
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Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness illicits shame, and so they're afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of looking weak.
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I hesitate to use a pathologizing label, but underneath the so-called narcissistic personality is definitely shame and the paralyzing fear of being ordinary.
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I'm not a parenting expert. In fact, I'm not sure that I even believe in the idea of 'parenting experts.' I'm an engaged, imperfect parent and a passionate researcher. I'm an experienced mapmaker and a stumbling traveler. Like many of you, parenting is by far my boldest and most daring adventure.
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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.
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