The 30 Minute Expert Series - Daring greatly-- in 30 minutes: the expert guide to Brené Browns

INTRODUCTION

At a Glance

This book is an extended review of Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, written by Bren Brown, PhD, LMSW. Her best-selling book offers a new outlook that inspires readers to dare greatly: to embrace vulnerability, shame, and imperfection; live wholeheartedly; and fearlessly engage in their lives. Daring Greatly argues that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, but is a true measure of strength.

Brown builds this case using more than twelve years of research on shame, which led her to conclude that vulnerability is synonymous with daring greatly, a term made popular by Theodore Roosevelt in his 1910 speech Citizenship in a Republic, in which he said:

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

To uncover the true power of vulnerability, Brown shares information gleaned through her interviews with men and women of all ages and stages of life who have experienced inertia due to fear, disengagement, shame, and the concept of not being enough. Comparing these stories with those of people who embrace vulnerability to dare greatly, Brown makes the case that living a life filled with passion and purpose is dependent on ones ability to own and engage with vulnerabilitytheirs and others. She identifies the many causes of shame that make the idea of vulnerability incomprehensible, and categorizes the metaphorical armor donned in an effort to deflect the pain of vulnerability. Using lessons culled from research subjects who represent lives filled with moments of daring greatly, those Brown calls the Wholehearted, she offers strategies to combat the fear and shame associated with putting yourself out there, and proves that vulnerability, while often found at the center of grief, disappointment, and fear, is also the origin of success and happiness.

This review begins with a brief introduction to Daring Greatly. Next comes a section that includes information about the book and the author, a summary of readers responses to the bookthe good and the not so good, from professional reviewers as well as from bloggers and other interested readersand a synopsis of Daring Greatly. That section is followed by a detailed discussion of the books key concepts. Finally, the main points of this review are briefly restated, in a way that may well inspire you to get your own copy of Bren Browns book and see for yourself why Daring Greatly is such a favorite with readers. Also included are a list of key terms used in Daring Greatly and recommendations for further reading about how to squelch the fear of risk-taking and adopt the mind-set that failure is not as scary as a life of untapped opportunities.

Understanding
Daring Greatly

ABOUT THE BOOK

The author of two previous books, The Gifts of Imperfection and I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isnt), Bren Brown has deeply explored vulnerability. As she delved further into the subject, she reviewed of her own life, which she describes as being in a constant state of avoidanceavoidance of failure, pain, humiliation, and her fear of being exposed as a fraud. As she worked to research vulnerability and its effects on human connection, she discovered that shame, empathy, and feelings of worthlessness deeply and negatively affect relationships. Brown also identified the counterargument that says the Wholeheartedpeople who engage with the world from a sense of worthinessare resilient to shame.

After twelve years of immersion in vulnerability research, she moved from a hypothesis that vulnerability and the associated emotions of shame, connection, and worthiness were happenstance to the realization that those associated emotions are actually what make vulnerability the epicenter of meaningful human experiences.

In June 2010, Brown discussed these ideas in a presentation at TEDx Houston, one of the independently organized events modeled after TED (a nonprofit addressing the worlds of technology, entertainment, and design, devoted to ideas worth spreading). The popular talk, entitled The Power of Vulnerability, was soon picked up by the main TED website and inspired Brown to share the work in her third book, Daring Greatly.

Daring Greatly represents the knowledge that Brown has amassed from her own personal journey and many years of interviewing leaders, parents, and educators about how we connect with others, the barriers that restrict or damage that connection, and the most powerful tool we have in ensuring meaningful connectionvulnerability.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bren Brown, PhD, LMSW, is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Her 2010 TEDx Houston talk on the power of vulnerability has been viewed more than six million times, making it one of the most watched talks on TED.com. In 2012, Brown gave the closing talk, Listening to Shame, at the national TED conference in Long Beach, California.

Before Daring Greatly, Brown wrote The Gifts of Imperfection (2010), and I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isnt) (2007). She has been featured on CNN, NPR, and PBS, in the Washington Post and Psychology Today, and has appeared on Katie and Oprahs award-winning series Super Soul Sunday. In 2007, Brown developed Connections, a psychoeducational shame-resilience curriculum facilitated by mental health and addiction professionals across the nation. A Texas native, Brown lives in Houston with her husband and two children.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

The Upside

Kirkus Reviews proclaims Daring Greatly a straightforward approach to revamping ones life from an expert on vulnerability, and says, [B]y accepting [Browns] directives, readers will be engaged, gain a sense of courage and learn how to create meaningful connections with their children or fellow workers. Publishers Weekly writes, Browns theoriescomplete with personal and not always flattering examples from her own lifewill draw readers in and have them considering what steps they would dare to take if shame and fear were not present.

Steve Saflgan, writing for Positive Psychology News Daily, says of Bren Browns shame-resilience theory, Shame and vulnerability are topics nearly nobody wants to discuss, yet theres something that deeply resonates with Browns work.

Several reviews commend Browns thorough research and ability to walk the walk, including Saflgans recommendation for Daring Greatly: What emerges is a deeply personal book that mirrors the vulnerability she shows in her public speaking and facilitation. At Forbes magazine, contributor Kare Anderson echoes that assessment, saying, Brens book and seeing her speak was to experience congruence between her presence and her message. Thats credibility-building and connective.

Daring Greatly has been particularly meaningful to readers in light of current national events. Maura Kelly of the Fiscal Times commented on the books reflection of current economic happenings, noting how, in a culture of fraud and cover-ups prevalent in Washington and Wall Street, the power of vulnerability has struck a chord with many business leaders. Fellow