Brené Brown - Embracing Vulnerability

The Power of Vulnerability Live - Tami Simon interviews Brené Brown, PhD on Embracing Vulnerability.

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The Power of Vulnerability, published November 15th, 2012
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About Brené Brown
Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work who has spent the past 10 years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She is a nationally renowned speaker and has won numerous teaching awards, including the college’s Outstanding Faculty Award. Her groundbreaking work has been featured on PBS, NPR, and CNN. Her 2010 TEDxHouston talk on the power of vulnerability is one of most watched talks on TED.com. Her most recent TED talk, “Listening to Shame,” was released in March 2012.

Brené is the author of The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t). She is also the author of Connections, a psychoeducational shame resilience curriculum that is being facilitated across the nation by mental health and addiction professionals. Brené’s current research focuses on wholeheartedness in families, schools, and organizations. She lives in Houston with her husband and their two young children.

About The Power of Vulnerability
Is vulnerability the same as weakness? “In our culture,” teaches Dr. Brené Brown, “we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.” On The Power of Vulnerability, Dr. Brown offers an invitation and a promise—that when we dare to drop the armor that protects us from feeling vulnerable, we open ourselves to the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Here she dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and reveals that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.

[jamespotter]

I’ve never told people secrets because opening up makes you weak and it gave them power over me.

[kellesalle]

She’s 100% right - when I was at uni, one of the lecturers shared her vulnerability video with our class. I was never taught to be vulnerable even though I had moments of vulnerability in my early life especially. I held back a lot of my emotions.
I’m glad that’s all over and I can feel whatever emotions I’m experiencing. It’s really helped me relate to other people in the process.

[rockinghorsefrm]

Craft + Risk + Responsibility = True art

[catherinesiena]

And, the source of vulnerability. ....humility, a sense of humbleness that begets all that is honest to the core.

[JustTm]

Yes, I feel that Brene is on to something real here. It takes courage to be vulnerable especially in this day in age where hyper-criticism runs rampant throughout our society. Please keep up your work Brene, please continue spread the message about the courage to be vulnerable and how it is an act of love toward oneself, this message is it truly needed and it will come a relief to many sensitive individuals that don't understand why they are vulnerable :)

[jeannettebolck]

so true, ýou can't access empathy without vulnerability

[Paasj]

Liked the idea around reckonsiling with your inner self in a similar period of hardship.

The need for people at young ages to learn too communicate their feelings about beeing bullied is so important-

Great presentation.

[maxbyer]

It's always hard for me to help people through their problems, not that I can't, but rather I empathize and the experience becomes emotionally draining on me as well. I always try to help though and usually they feel better for it.
Sadly, coming from the other side and being the one who's suffering through hard times, I find a lot of those same people who I opened up in trying to help, shut me out and change the subject to something trivial in avoidance. That's way harder to deal through.

[Lena-pyxi]

Brene is the positive shift this world needs

[joyrayan]

I love your work ! V inspiring, thank you.

[lisandracroes]

Thank you so much Rene. I so needed this!!! I can so relate😊

[gpoverchuk]

So true. But I’d like to hear are examples to help navigate this vulnerability

[JulieAnnAdventures]

I appreciate the ability to be vulnerable, but only in certain circumstances and with certain people. I've been a bit of an empath my whole life. But I don't allow that to be an excuse for weakness or a pity party.
Rather, for me & for me to "help" others help themselves...
My Empathy Is The First Step To Helping Someone Else Overcome Any sadness and grief they've experienced. And THEN... What are they going to do to stand up under the scrutiny. How can they turn that vulnerability into a Test of Personal Strength - not allow it to be their weakness & excuse for failures.
We LEARN from failing & trying again so we can walk on those learning moments... as rungs on a ladder to reach new heights... IMHO

[BestaTonlistin]

I thought that last thing you wrote was, wow haha I'm one of the HSP (sensitive) and I have been watching videos on Brene for the past 3 weeks haha, now expecting all of her books in the mail! You just hit it right on the head ;) I love that shes spreading the word that being vulnerable is not a weakness. It requires such strength and courage. I also love how she talks and explains shame and guilt, its like something that used to be vague is now crystal clear and easy to understand :)

[johnbyerlein]

I don't want to be vulnerable because most people us my V against me. I choose to be polite with others, but I have minimal desire to deeply connect with others.

[ifiwherearichman]

Vulnerability is inherently naive - and blinds us as to how to defend our legitimate boundaries - SENSITIVITY is the healthy key

[kikiperry]

Here is a slightly tighter version of the transript: (NB Ix-nay!!!)" we think about vulnerability as a dark
Emotion. you know, there are a lot of
people who talk about them as
positive emotions negative emotions dark
emotions light emotions. we think of
vulnerability as a dark emotion. we think
of it as the core of fear and shame and
grief and disappointment, uncertainty.
things that we do not want to feel, right?
things that " I don't want to be
Vulnerable" because that means I'm afraid
that means I'm uncertain that means I'm
at risk I'm exposed I'm in grief. so, what
we do is we armour up and we say "I do
not want to slip into these dark
Emotions; I will not let myself be
Vulnerable. but here's what I learn from
the research and certainly put into
motion in my own life that was the most
life-changing is that vulnerability is
the center of difficult emotion. but it's
also the birthplace of every positive
emotion that we need in our lives:
love belonging joy empathy. how many of
you would agree that we're in a serious
empathy deficit in our culture today?
Totally, right?
no loner ability no empathy. in a culture
where people are afraid to be vulnerable
you can't have empathy. here, empathy is
not a default response. if you share
something with me that's difficult in
order for me to be truly empathic I have
to step into what you're feeling . and
that's vulnerable. so there can be no
empathy without vulnerability . why do you
think in that example that I used while
ago daughter comes home and says you
Know: tears, no one sat with me at lunch
Today. they made fun of what I was
Wearing.
so-and-so won't talk to me. they poured
my books out of my locker . and the
response back is "I told you I bought you
all those cute jeans why aren't you
wearing those jeans? and pull your hair Back."
is that an empathic response? No, it's a
shaming response. could that shaming
response be …..it could a mother who
absolutely adores her child respond with
that shaming response?
Please! say yes! don't kid yourself ! I mean
come on! if you've got kids, if you're a parent
sitting in here then you sure as hell
know the answer that is yes .but why? why
did that happen?
what where was the access to
Vulnerability?? Where was empathy? you can't access empathy ifyou're not willing to be vulnerable. So,
my daughter comes home and tells that to
me guess what I have to do? I have to
reactivate that sweaty palmed seventh
grader who lives inside me and I have to
go oh god that's so hard. I'm so sorry.
that's happened to me that's happened to
me when I was in middle school and it's
happened to me last week. let's talk
about it .but you can't get there without
Vulnerability. you can't fake empathy.
innovation and creativity born of
vulnerability
this is my favorite part. I talked about
this in the, I did another TED talk this
year at Long Beach and I told the
story that during 2011 and even this
Year, after the big TEDx Houston talk
went viral the big calls came from
fortune 500 companies. oh my god we loved
your TED talk it was great.
please come talk to all of our senior
Leaders. and just like okay um what do
you want me to talk about? like we don't care just
come and talk to us. just if you could
Ix-nay the shame and vulnerability talk.
I mean, EVERY single conversation barring maybe
10% . So, what do you mean? well, we like you
you're funny, you have this great research I think there's a
real fit with what we do. we just we
don't really do you know that kind of
stuff around here. so you if you could
Just not mention vulnerability and shame. So,
just for fun, for grins, I would say okay
so, what would you like me to talk about?
yeah fourth quarter earnings like I fricking don't even balance my checkbook
um like
I'm not going to talk about that . So, what
do you want? What we what do you want me
to talk about? Well, the big issue creativity
and innovation ....mmm and change we're
going through a lot of change . like okay
so, vulnerability is the birthplace of
creativity innovation change and the
reason that crisis is happening is
because you're not talking about
Vulnerability. imagine creativity and
innovation without vulnerability: I'm
asking you for a work product that has
never been made before, that's completely
Innovative. I need you to be creative and
then ask you to present it to a group of
people who are going to, half are gonna
think it's stupid and not understand it.

No vulnerability there!

[dplant]

Hi, Folks.
For me, Brene Brown has her view of the world and of so-called 'vulnerability' and I have mine.. I am not saying that her view is wrong, only that I don't share it.

I personally think that the word, "vulnerability", has been hi-jacked and over used and I am talking in the sense that it applies to emotions. It IS possible to share your emotions on even very deep and personal levels WITHOUT being hurt by the responses of others.

HOW is this

All that is needed is for the person doing the sharing to BELIEVE that they are 'enough' as they currently see themselves and to have sufficient confidence that they are 'right' for themselves to not concern themselves with how others see them or what others may think or say about them, to know and to UNDERSTAND that what others may say or think about them 'ackshully' says more about 'the others' than it does about the one who is the subject of said thoughts or speech.

This does not in any way imply that a person is insensitive. It simply means that such a person has sufficient confidence in their own beliefs, ideas and abilities to be able to live their life on their own terms, not necessarily not needing people in general but believing that they can survive and be happy without needing any particular specific individual in their life.

'Sorta like', "I am going thisaway. I would like to have you share the journey with me. IF you choose to come along, I will make accommodations for you to the extent that said accommodations do not interfere with or compromise my goals, ideals or beliefs. If that doesn't work for you, then you go your way and I'll go mine."

NONE of us, once we have attained physical and emotional maturity, TRULY need any other specific individual in our lives. Yes, it can be 'nice' to have someone whose company we treasure by our sides as we go through life. BUTTTT, it is NOT essential to our survival.

The closer one comes to being completely UNCONDITIONALLY loving of EVERYTHING that is simply because it IS TOTALLY WITHOUT judgement, the easier this becomes.

If you disagree with what I am posting, please feel free and I acknowledge your right to do so.

BUTTTT, if you wish to attack me and my views, PLEASE, first give some thought to the idea expressed above that whatever you might say or think about me 'ackshully' DOES say more about you than it does about me.

Just my 0.02.

You all have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.

[thomasjust]

I say there is too much emphathy, everyone has an excuse for anything they do, to the point criminals can claim to need emphathy because of their childhood

[juancisterne]

Like, for sure, like totally. Nah, your reversing what you're good at isn't a solution, for me that is. I don't know that friendly white one from your cargo. It's been Taco Bell workers in the past, now you're changing things up. They're all younger, meaning, none has ever had issues such as: elevated cholesterol, ulcers, aged joints, they're younger, don't know anything about aging. This is a solution for me alright, a very serious one at that. If I were you, do what I do daily, pray, read some of His precious and loving word, ask for deliverance from this. You know a lot of people, and a lot of people that you don't know are cheering for you and want my demise. Sobering alright. I'm so ready for your thug. I got to be smart, so keep fighting, and send whomever you wish. I remind myself that Rome wasn't built in a day. Amazing what this lengthy ordeal has been, I've come a long way achieving a database. It's up to you what to do during this time in between the next one. Repeat, I'm organizing and preparing. Take care.