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A review by bittersweet_symphony
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
4.0
Brene Brown's name has become synonymous with vulnerability in the past several years since she exploded onto the scene with her TED talk, which has gone on to be one of the most viewed TED talks of all time. As a be all remedy for social ills and the challenges of friendships, parenting, leadership, educating, and almost any social endeavor, she declares that "vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement. Our willingness to own and engage with our vulnerability determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose; the level to which we protect ourselves from being vulnerable is a measure of our fear and disconnection."
She writes in a conversational and authoritative tone, this book being largely an extension of her TED talk. She's a welcome herald of authenticity, and an eagerness to engage with one another emotionally, in ways that most of us fear to or otherwise don't know how to interact.
While I appreciate her general posture about the emotional life, I kept finding myself thinking as I read, "just kill the ego!" For those who navigate life from the illusion of self and ego, and a focus on personal identity, and self-esteem, or a contemporary Western mindset, she offers a decent toolkit for approaching life's challenges. However, I believe a lot of the problems she raises, are a result of us failing to adopt a more Zen, or overall Buddhist way of living.
Each of her 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted living has an eastern counterpart that amounts to: be present, kill the ego, accept being, let go of the self, you are not your thoughts or emotions, don't mistake the clouds for the sky, and withhold judgment.
I deeply appreciate her work and hope it inspires a higher degree of vulnerability and authenticity within our cultures.
She writes in a conversational and authoritative tone, this book being largely an extension of her TED talk. She's a welcome herald of authenticity, and an eagerness to engage with one another emotionally, in ways that most of us fear to or otherwise don't know how to interact.
While I appreciate her general posture about the emotional life, I kept finding myself thinking as I read, "just kill the ego!" For those who navigate life from the illusion of self and ego, and a focus on personal identity, and self-esteem, or a contemporary Western mindset, she offers a decent toolkit for approaching life's challenges. However, I believe a lot of the problems she raises, are a result of us failing to adopt a more Zen, or overall Buddhist way of living.
Each of her 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted living has an eastern counterpart that amounts to: be present, kill the ego, accept being, let go of the self, you are not your thoughts or emotions, don't mistake the clouds for the sky, and withhold judgment.
I deeply appreciate her work and hope it inspires a higher degree of vulnerability and authenticity within our cultures.