Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It's the fear that we're not good enough.
Brene BrownRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Vulnerability in relationships involves the risk of loving someone without guarantees of their feelings or loyalty.
This quote by Brene Brown highlights the inherent risks and uncertainties of loving someone deeply. It underscores the idea that to love is to expose ourselves to potential pain, loss, and betrayal, as we cannot control others' feelings or actions. Embracing this vulnerability is a courageous act that speaks to the essence of human connection and the complexities of relationships.
Themes
VulnerabilityLoveRelationshipsRiskTrust
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a discussion about the challenges of love in a relationship seminar.
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.
Brene BrownRead
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.
Brene BrownRead
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 BrownRead
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