Brene Brown On Connection & Vulnerability
Brene Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work.
Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame.
She is also the author of The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are.
She spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. She poses the questions:
How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness?
How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?
In this poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.
Susan notes: Thanks to TED for making TED Talks downloadable and embeddable, and for providing the biographical information that goes along with them.
Related Articles
- Speak Up, Speak Out, Take The Stage: The World Needs More TED Women
- Sarah Parcak (Space Archaeologist)
- Susan Cain (Author)
- Rebecca Goldstein (Novelist / Philosopher)
- Janelle Monáe (Entertainer / Songwriter)
- Ainissa Ramirez (Scientist)
- Regina Dugan (Strategist / Inventor)
- Julie Burstein (Writer / Radio Producer)
- Karen Bass (Natural History Filmmaker)
- Sharon Beals (Photographer)
- Leymah Gbowee (Executive Director of Women Peace & Security Network Africa)
- Sherry Turkle (Cultural Analyst)
- Tali Sharot (Cognitive Neuroscientist)
- Kate Messner (Author)
- 17 Women Rocked Stage @TED2012
- AAA Alphabetical TED Women Talks List