As someone who has been deeply inspired by Brené Brown’s work, I can witness the power of her insights and storytelling. Whether you’re already familiar with her research or discovering her for the first time, I believe you’ll find her words to be very uplifting.
Brené’s work on topics like vulnerability, shame, empathy, and authenticity has changed the way many of us think about ourselves and our relationships with others.
In this article, I’d like to share some of my favorite Brené Brown quotes that have resonated with me personally and offer a glimpse into the wisdom that has made her one of the most influential voices in the world today.
Who is Brené Brown:
Brené Brown is a research professor of social work at the University of Houston Graduate College since 2002, after receiving her Ph.D. in Social Work. She is also a best-selling author and a renowned public speaker. She is well-recognized for her work and TED talks on the issues of vulnerability, courage, empathy, and shame.
Here are a few facts about Brené Brown:
- She has published several academic articles on issues such as shame, empathy, and vulnerability.
- Brown is the best-selling author of several books, including “The Gifts of Imperfection,” “Daring Greatly,” and “Braving the Wilderness.”
- Her TED talks about vulnerability and shame have been watched millions of times and widely discussed and shared.
- Brown’s research and writing have been praised for their depth, relevancy, and accessibility.
Brené Brown Quotes To Empower Your Journey
Whether you’re looking to cultivate greater courage, overcome shame, or deepen your relationships, these quotes offer insight and inspiration to help you on your journey.
Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.
We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.
There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.
I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.
Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.
Trust is earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds, or even highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine care and connection.
Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.
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.
Midlife: when the Universe grabs your shoulders and tells you “I’m not f-ing around, use the gifts you were given.
When I let go of trying to be everything to everyone, I had much more time, attention, love, and connection for the important people in my life.
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.
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?
Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.
Nostalgia is also a dangerous form of comparison. Think about how often we compare our lives to a memory that nostalgia has so completely edited that it never really existed.
The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.
I now see that owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.
Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.
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?
The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity.
Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.
We need to be selective about the feedback we let into our lives. For me, if you’re not in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.
To me, a leader is someone who holds her- or himself accountable for finding potential in people and processes.
Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.
Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.
Everyone has a story or a struggle that will break their heart. And, if we’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring us to our knees.
Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.
At the end of the day, at the end of the week, and at the end of my life, I want to say that I contributed more than I criticized.
Compassionate people ask for what they need. They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it. They’re compassionate because their boundaries keep them out of resentment.
Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.
To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.
The truth is that falling hurts. The dare is to keep being brave and feel your way back up.
What we know matters but who matters more?
Just because someone isn’t willing or able to love us, it doesn’t mean that we are unlovable.
Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting.
We run from grief because loss scares us, yet our hearts reach toward grief because the broken parts want to mend.
I thought faith would say, ‘I’ll take away the pain and discomfort,’ but what it ended up saying was, ‘I’ll sit with you in it.’
If you can’t ask for help without self-judgment, you cannot offer help without judging others.
We are born makers. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands.
We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.
It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ Paradigm shift.
I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked.
Brené Brown Quotes on Vulnerability and Courage
One of Brené Brown’s key themes is the idea that vulnerability is a cornerstone of courage, authenticity, and meaningful connection. Here are some of her most inspiring quotes on these topics:
Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
You cannot get to courage without vulnerability.
Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weaknesses.
We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.
Vulnerability is not knowing victory or defeat, it’s understanding the necessity of both; it’s engaging. It’s being all in.
Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others.
Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.
Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.
Courage is like—it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.
Brené Brown Quotes On Shame and Empathy
Another major theme in Brené Brown’s work is the impact of shame on our lives and the power of empathy to heal and transform. Here are some of her most powerful quotes on these topics:
Shame is the most powerful master emotion. It’s the fear that we’re not good enough.
Empathy is a choice, and it’s a vulnerable choice because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling.
Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection.
If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.
Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.
Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.
You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors.
Shame loves perfectionists — it’s so easy to keep us quiet.
You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors.
Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It’s the fear that we’re not good enough.
What we don’t need in the midst of struggle is shame for being human.
If we share our shame story with the wrong person, they can easily become one more piece of flying debris in an already dangerous storm.
When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.
If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.
Brené Brown Quotes on Worthiness and Belonging
Brown’s work highlights the importance of feeling worthy and a sense of belonging in our lives. Here are some Brené Brown quotes on Worthiness that reflect these themes:
Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.
Here’s what is truly at the heart of wholeheartedness: Worthy now, not if, not when we’re worthy of love and belonging now. Right, this minute. As is.
You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.
Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.
You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.
You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.
True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself.
True belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others…It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.
Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.
Worthiness is the experience of feeling fundamentally good enough and deserving of love, belonging, and joy.
Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us.
The willingness to show up changes us, It makes us a little braver each time.
