20+ Brené Brown Quotes on Living Authentically
From her TedTalks to her bestsellers, Brené Brown has plenty of wisdom to share with those wishing to build a more fulfilling life. Brené Brown quotes are filled with wisdom and insight, drawing on her experience as a research professor and lecturer. Her academic work on shame, vulnerability, and leadership has influenced the public dialogue on being brave and living as your most authentic self.
Here are some of the top Brené Brown quotes from her extensive talks and literature.
Brené Brown Vulnerability Quotes
One of Brené Brown’s most famous areas of study is vulnerability. Having the courage to express your vulnerable self with others allows you to foster trust and deepen relationships. Here are some important Brené Brown quotes on vulnerability.
“Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.”
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“There is no intimacy without vulnerability.” ― Brené Brown
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“Vulnerability is the core, the heart, the center, of meaningful human experiences.” ― Brené Brown
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“There is no vision without vulnerability.” ― Brené Brown
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“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” ― Brené Brown
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“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.” ― Brené Brown
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“To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees – these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. But, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude, and grace.” ― Brené Brown
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“Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.” ― Brené Brown
Brené Brown Daring Greatly Quotes
Brené Brown’s book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead offers a lot of wisdom to its readers. Here are some of the best quotes from the book.
“I’m not perfect and I’m not always right, but I’m here, open, paying attention, loving you, and fully engaged.” ― Brené Brown
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“We believe that the most terrifying and destructive feeling that a person can experience is psychological isolation. This is not the same as being alone. It is a feeling that one is locked out of the possibility of human connection and of being powerless to change the situation.” ― Brené Brown
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“We love seeing raw truth and openness in other people, but we’re afraid to let them see it in us. We’re afraid that our truth isn’t enough—that what we have to offer isn’t enough without the bells and whistles, without editing, and impressing.” ― Brené Brown
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“Don’t squander joy.” ― Brené Brown
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“And in case I’m feeling more ornery than usual, I have a little Post-it Note under my tightrope picture that reads, “Cruelty is cheap, easy, and chickenshit.” That’s also a touchstone of my spiritual beliefs.” ― Brené Brown
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“Perfection is crucial in building an aircraft, a bridge, or a high-speed train. The code and mathematics residing just below the surface of the Internet is also this way. Things are either perfectly right or they will not work. So much of the world we work and live in is based upon being correct, being perfect.” ― Brené Brown
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“If you’re comfortable, I’m not teaching and you’re not learning. It’s going to get uncomfortable in here and that’s okay. It’s normal and it’s part of the process.” ― Brené Brown
Brené Brown Courage Quotes
Brown always encourages her readers and listeners to be themselves. And being true to yourself takes courage. Here are some of her best quotes on bravery.
“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.” ― Brené Brown
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“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown
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“I believe that what we regret most are our failures of courage, whether it’s the courage to be kinder, to show up, to say how we feel, to set boundaries, to be good to ourselves. For that reason, regret can be the birthplace of empathy.” ― Brené Brown
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“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. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.” ― Brené Brown
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“A lot of cheap seats in the arena are filled with people who never venture onto the floor. They just hurl mean-spirited criticisms and put-downs from a safe distance. The problem is, when we stop caring what people think and stop feeling hurt by cruelty, we lose our ability to connect. But when we’re defined by what people think, we lose the courage to be vulnerable. Therefore, 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.” ― Brené Brown
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“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ― Brené Brown
Brené Brown Quotes on Happiness
All of Brown’s work leads her listeners and readers toward living their best, most authentic lives. And living in your truth brings you more joy and fulfillment.
This Brené Brown quote on happiness explains her philosophy best: “The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.” Our lives will never only be exclusively light and sunshine. We have to accept and lean into the darkness in order to truly appreciate and understand our joy.
Author, Artist, Photographer.
Sarah Margaret is an artist who expresses her love for feminism, equality, and justice through a variety of mediums: photography, filmmaking, poetry, illustration, song, acting, and of course, writing.
She owns Still Poetry Photography, a company that showcases her passion for capturing poetic moments in time. Instead of poetry in motion, she captures visual poetry in fractions of a second, making cherished keepsakes of unforgettable moments.
She is the artist behind the Still Poetry Etsy shop, which houses her illustrations and bespoke, handmade items. She is the author of intricacies are just cracks in the wall, a narrative poetry anthology that follows a young woman discovering herself as she emerges from an abusive relationship.
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