Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It's the fear that we're not good enough.
Brene BrownRead
The moment someone asks you to do something you don't have the time or inclination to do is fraught with vulnerability.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote speaks to the vulnerability we feel when asked to take on tasks that we are not ready or willing to do.
Brene Brown highlights the emotional and psychological discomfort that arises when we are put in a position to meet someone else's demands, especially when we feel unprepared or unwilling to accept those demands. This vulnerability can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety, as we grapple with our own limits and the expectations of others. A deeper understanding of our boundaries and a willingness to assert them is crucial in managing these pressures and maintaining healthy relationships.
Themes
VulnerabilityBoundariesRelationshipsSelf-AwarenessStress
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on personal boundaries, this quote could illustrate the importance of knowing when to say no.
More from Brene Brown
All quotes βI 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.
Brene BrownRead
Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness illicits shame, and so they're afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of looking weak.
Brene BrownRead
I hesitate to use a pathologizing label, but underneath the so-called narcissistic personality is definitely shame and the paralyzing fear of being ordinary.
Brene BrownRead
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.
Brene BrownRead
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.
Brene BrownRead
Similar quotes
Social Networking that matters is helping people archive their goals. Doing it reliably and repeatability so that over time people have an interest in helping you achieve your goals.
Seth GodinRead
One of life's terrible truths is that women like guys who seem to know what they're doing.
Anthony BourdainRead
I leave CNN with the utmost respect, love and admiration for the company and everyone who works here. This has been my family and shared endeavor for the past 27 years, and I am forever grateful and proud of all that we have accomplished.
Christiane AmanpourRead
I've changed my ways a little, I cannot now Run with you in the evenings along the shore, Except in a kind of dream, and you, if you dream a moment, You see me there.
Robinson JeffersRead
My wife and I were worried, when we had our firstborn, about how he was going to think of himself in a mostly white neighborhood. Particularly Asian men, I feel, we suffer more than Asian women, because we're told we're not worth anything in general.
John ChoRead
It was inevitable, of course, but somehow it didn't seem right to Alex that they would never remember the sound of Carly's laughter, or know how deeply she'd once loved them.
Nicholas SparksRead