135 Powerful Brené Brown Quotes on Vulnerability, Leadership & Courage

In a world that often glorifies perfection and invulnerability, Brené Brown invites us to embrace our imperfections with courage and vulnerability. 

As a research professor at the University of Houston and a renowned author, she has dedicated her life to studying the human experience, particularly the power of connection, empathy, and authenticity. Her Brené Brown quotes resonate deeply with those yearning for genuine personal growth and deeper relationships. 

From her poignant reflections on shame to her empowering messages about embracing vulnerability as strength, Brené Brown Quotes offer profound insights that challenge conventional wisdom.

Who is Brene’ Brown?

Brené Brown, born on November 18, 1965, is much more than just an American academic; she is a transformative figure in the landscape of psychology and leadership. 

As the Huffington Foundation’s Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work and a visiting professor at the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, her work cuts across disciplines to explore the intricate relationships between vulnerability and courage. 

Brene’ Brown Profile Summary

Name	Brené Brown
Father’s Name	Charles Arthur Brown
Mother’s Name	Elaine Brown
Date of Birth	November 18, 1965
Nationality	American
Gender	Female
Brené Brown Quotes Height	Approximately 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Brené Brown Quotes Weight	Approximately 145 lbs (66 kg)
Brené Brown Quotes Age	59 years (as of 2024)
Astrological Sign	Scorpio
Place of Birth	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Brené Brown Quotes Net Worth	Estimated $4 million
Primary Sources of Income	Research, Writing, Speaking
Occupation	Researcher, Author, Speaker

Brené Brown Quotes on Courage

Brené Brown’s insights on courage resonate deeply in a world that often equates bravery with fearlessness. One of her most brene brown team quotes reminds us that “courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

• Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weaknesses.”
• When we combine the courage to make clear what works for us and what doesn’t with the compassion to assume people are doing their best, our lives change.”
• The difficult thing is that vulnerability is the first thing I look for in you and the last thing I’m willing to show you. In you, it’s courage and daring. In me, it’s a weakness.”
• The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.”
• Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”
• As a shame researcher, I know that the very best thing to do in the midst of a shame attack is totally counterintuitive: Practice courage and reach out!”
• We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.”
• There will be times when standing alone feels too hard, too scary, and we’ll doubt our ability to make our way through the uncertainty. Someone, somewhere, will say, ‘Don’t do it. You don’t have what it takes to survive the wilderness.’ This is when you reach deep into your wild heart and remind yourself, ‘I am the wilderness.’”
• The truth is that falling hurts. The dare is to keep being brave and feel your way back up.

Brené Brown Quotes on Vulnerability

Brené Brown’s exploration of the power of vulnerability quotes has forever changed the way we view our emotional landscapes. Her quotes resonate deeply, reminding us that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a courageous act that can lead to profound connection and authenticity.

• Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.”
• 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.”
• Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
• People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real badasses.”
• Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous.”
• Vulnerability is basically uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.”
• Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you’ve got all the answers, then don’t call what you do ‘faith.’”
• 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.”
• Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen. It’s tough to do that when we’re terrified about what people might see or think.”
• Good marriages are when you can go home and know that your vulnerability will be honored as courage, and that you’ll find support.”
• I was raised in a family where vulnerability was barely tolerated: no training wheels on our bicycles, no goggles in the pool, just get it done. And so I grew up not only with discomfort about my own vulnerability, I didn’t care for it in other people either.”
• I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are fraught with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Leadership

Brené Brown’s insights into leadership challenge conventional wisdom, urging leadership quotes brene brown to embrace vulnerability as a strength rather than a weakness. One of her most memorable quotes emphasizes that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”

• Brave leaders are never silent around hard things.”
• Courage is contagious. A critical mass of brave leaders is the foundation of an intentionally courageous culture. Every time we are brave with our lives, we make the people around us a little braver and our organizations bolder and stronger.”
• I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”
• We desperately need more leaders who are committed to courageous, wholehearted leadership and who are self-aware enough to lead from their hearts, rather than unevolved leaders who lead from hurt and fear.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Shame

Brené Brown’s exploration of shame reveals its complex role in our lives, while often perceived as a purely negative emotion, she suggests it can also serve as a catalyst for vulnerability and growth. One poignant quote underscores this idea: “Shame is not a badge of honor; it’s just the thing that makes us want to hide.

• Shame derives its power from being unspeakable.”
• You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors.”
• I’ve learned a lot since I was a new mother. My approach to struggle and shame now is to talk to yourself like you’d talk to someone you love and reach out to tell your story.”
• You cannot talk about race without talking about privilege. And when people start talking about privilege, they get paralyzed by shame.”
• Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It’s the fear that we’re not good enough.”
• Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it- it can’t survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes.”
• 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.”
• If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.”
• We judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we’re doing.”
• Guilt is just as powerful, but its influence is positive, while shame’s is destructive. Shame erodes our courage and fuels disengagement.”
• Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness elicits shame, and so they’re afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of looking weak.”
• Ironically, parenting is a shame and judgment minefield precisely because most of us are wading through uncertainty and self-doubt when it comes to raising our children.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Belonging

Brené Brown insights on belonging resonate deeply with those navigating the complexities of connection in today’s world. One of her most powerful quotes is, “True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”

• A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. ”
• When you get to a place where you understand that love and belonging, your worthiness, is a birthright and not something you have to earn, anything is possible.”
• You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.”
• But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others.… It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.”
• The opposite of belonging is fitting in.”
• True belonging never asks us to change who we are. True belonging requires us to be who we are.”
• The things we do for love and belonging, the things we do for work, are the things that define us.”
• The truth is: Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable and imperfect.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Connection

Brené Brown’s insights into connection resonate deeply, revealing the power of vulnerability in forging authentic relationships. One of her poignant quotes emphasizes that “connection is why we’re here; it gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” This simple yet profound statement compels us to reflect on how often we prioritize superficial interactions over genuine bonds.

• Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.”
• As unique as we all are, an awful lot of us want the same things. We want to shake up our current less-than-fulfilling lives. We want to be happier, more loving, forgiving and connected with the people around us.”
• When you stop caring what people think, you lose your capacity for connection. When you’re defined by it, you lose our capacity for vulnerability.”
• The intention and outcome of vulnerability is trust, intimacy and connection. The outcome of oversharing is distrust, disconnection – and usually a little judgment.”
• Live-tweeting your bikini wax is not a vulnerability. Nor is posting a blow-by-blow of your divorce . That’s an attempt to hot-wire the connection. But you can’t cheat real connection. It’s built up slowly. It’s about trust and time.

Brené Brown Quotes on Self love

Brené Brown’s self-love reveal a profound connection between vulnerability and worthiness. One of her compelling quotes emphasizes that “self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.”

• Self-love is never arrogance. It’s the birthplace of human connection and respect.”
• We can only love others as much as we love ourselves.”
• Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”
• Connecting the dots of our lives, especially the ones we would rather erase or skip over, requires equal parts self-love and curiosity.”
• In a society that says, ‘Put yourself last,’ self-love and self-acceptance are revolutionary.”
• I can encourage my daughter to love her body, but what really matters are the observations she makes about my relationship with my own body.”
• Self-compassion leads to resilience.”
• Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
• I now see that owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
• Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.”
• 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?”
• In my research, I’ve interviewed a lot of people who never fit in, who are what you might call ‘different’: scientists, artists, thinkers. And if you drop down deep into their work and who they are, there is a tremendous amount of self-acceptance.
• To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.

Brené Brown Quotes on Love

Brené Brown’s exploration of love is deeply intertwined with vulnerability and courage. One striking quote reminds us that “love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow.” This perspective shifts the focus from viewing love as a transactional exchange to understanding it as an active, evolving relationship requiring continuous effort.

• To see and to be seen. That is the truest nature of love.”
• Just because someone isn’t willing or able to love us, it doesn’t mean that we are unlovable.”
• We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.”
• Love is not a noun, it’s a verb. Love — the feeling — is the fruit of love, the verb or our actions.”
• When the people we love stop paying attention, trust begins to slip away and hurt starts seeping in.”
• True love allows, honors, and appreciates; attachment grasps, demands, needs, and aims to possess.”
• 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.

Brené Brown Quotes on Perfectionism

Brené Brown’s insights on perfectionism are both liberating and eye-opening, encouraging us to challenge the relentless quest for flawlessness. One of her most resonant quotes reminds us that “perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. This distinction illuminates a crucial truth: while striving can foster growth, perfectionism often stifles it by imposing unrealistic standards.

• Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be our best. Perfectionism is not about healthy achievement and growth; it’s a shield.”
• Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.”
• Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
• I’m like a recovering perfectionist. For me it’s one day at a time.”
• Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it’s about earning approval and acceptance.”
• Healthy striving is self-focused: “How can I improve?” Perfectionism is other-focused: “What will they think?”
• Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
• Perfectionism is self destructive simply because there’s no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.”
• 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.

Brené Brown Quotes on Life

Brené Brown’s quotes on life often resonate deeply, inviting us to embrace vulnerability as a path to true connection. She asserts, Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. This powerful insight encourages us to see our fears not as barriers but as gateways, inviting growth and fostering resilience.

• At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized.”
• Crazy-busy’ is a great armor, it’s a great way for numbing. What a lot of us do is that we stay so busy, and so out in front of our life, that the truth of how we’re feeling and what we really need can’t catch up with us.”
• 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. ”
• We use work to numb out. We can’t turn off our machines because we’re afraid we’re going to miss something.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Arena

Brené Brown’s reflections on the concept of an arena serve as powerful reminders of vulnerability and courage in our everyday lives. In her quotes, she emphasizes that stepping into the arena, whether in personal relationships or professional endeavors, requires us to embrace discomfort and uncertainty.

• 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.”
• Anonymous comments? You’re not in the arena, man. If you can’t say it to me in person in front of my kids, don’t say it.”
• If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgment at those of us trying to dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fear-mongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in your feedback.”
• 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.

Brené Brown Quotes on Happiness

Brené Brown’s insights on happiness challenge conventional notions, emphasizing that true joy stems from vulnerability and connection rather than superficial success. One of her poignant quotes highlights this shift in perspective: “You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.”

• Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.”
• I’ve found what makes children happy doesn’t always prepare them to be courageous, engaged adults.”
• As a vulnerability researcher, the greatest barrier I see is our low tolerance for vulnerability. We’re almost afraid to be happy. ”
• 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.”
• The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.

Brené Brown Short Quotes

Brené Brown short quotes resonate deeply because they encapsulate complex human experiences in just a few words. Take, for instance, her insight on vulnerability: Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. This concise statement invites us to rethink our relationship with vulnerability, not as a weakness but as a powerful catalyst for growth.

• We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.”
• What we know matters but who we are matters more.”
• Numb the dark and you numb the light.”
• Hope is a function of struggle.”
• Hope is not an emotion; it’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process.”
• When we dare to show up and be seen, we can change the world with our work.”
• The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We’re just quick to hit the snooze button”
• Dig deep—get deliberate, inspired, and going.”
• Talk about your failures without apologizing.”
• Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.”
• There is no innovation and creativity without failure Period.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Friendship & Relationships

Brené Brown’s insights on friendship and relationships remind us that vulnerability is the cornerstone of meaningful connections. One profound quote emphasizes, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” This perspective invites us to shed our armor and embrace authenticity in our interactions.

• Through my research, I found that vulnerability is the glue that holds relationships together. It’s the magic sauce.”
• I carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet that has written on it the names of people whose opinions of me matter. To be on that list, you have to love me for my strengths and struggles.”
• Social media has given us this idea that we should all have a posse of friends when in reality, if we have one or two really good friends, we are lucky.”
• For me, the opposite of scarcity is not abundance. It’s enough. I’m enough. My kids are enough.”

Brené Brown Quotes on Boundaries

Brené Brown’s insights on boundaries illuminate the often overlooked importance of self-respect and personal well-being. One of her compelling quotes highlights that daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.

• Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”
• When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.”
• Even to me the issue of “stay small, sweet, quiet, and modest” sounds like an outdated problem, but the truth is that women still run into those demands whenever we find and use our voices.

Brené Brown Quotes on Gratitude & Compassion

Brené Brown’s insights on gratitude and compassion emphasize the interconnectedness of these two powerful emotions. She asserts that genuine gratitude stems from recognizing what we have rather than focusing on what’s missing, allowing us to cultivate a deeper sense of well-being. As she beautifully puts it, “Gratitude is not only the experiencing of more; it’s also about being willing to embrace less.

• What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”
• 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.”
• We’re a nation hungry for more joy: Because we’re starving from a lack of gratitude.”
• When we’re looking for compassion, we need someone who is deeply rooted, is able to bend and, most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.”
• First and foremost, we need to be the adults we want our children to be. We should watch our own gossip and anger. We should model the kindness we want to see.”
• Everyone has a story or a struggle that will break your heart. And if we’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring us to our knees.

Brené Brown Quotes on Worthiness

Brené Brown’s insights on worthiness resonate deeply in a world often clouded by self-doubt and external validation. One powerful take away from her quotes is the idea that our worthiness is inherent; it’s not something we earn or lose based on accomplishments or societal approval.

• Worthiness doesn’t have prerequisites.”
• Sometimes the most dangerous thing for kids is the silence that allows them to construct their own stories—stories that almost always cast them as alone and unworthy of love and belonging.”
• 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.”
• Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn’t feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive.”
• It’s hard to practice compassion when we’re struggling with our authenticity or when our own worthiness is off-balance.”
• You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.”
• If you think dealing with issues like worthiness and authenticity and vulnerability are not worthwhile because there are more pressing issues, like the bottom line or attendance or standardized test scores, you are sadly, sadly mistaken. It underpins everything.

85  June Quotes to Embrace the Summer Spirit

Conclusion

Brené Brown’s insights on vulnerability, leadership, and courage serve as a powerful reminder of the strength found in authenticity and connection. Her quotes challenge us to embrace our imperfections and recognize that true leadership is rooted in empathy and trust.

By fostering an environment where vulnerability is met with support rather than judgment, we can cultivate stronger relationships both personally and professionally. As we navigate the complexities of life and work, let us draw inspiration from her words to lead with courage and compassion. Embrace the transformative power of vulnerability today, your journey towards authentic leadership starts now!

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