Daring Greatly and Brené Brown: The Fable Reading Guide
Fable Editors
Join the free TED Book Club to read "Daring Greatly."
Download Fable’s free book club discussion questions for "Daring Greatly."
What Is So Great About Brené Brown?
Brené Brown is a researcher and storyteller who spent more than 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. "Daring Greatly" is the perfect introduction to Brown’s work, the research project at the heart of all her writing. After writing the book, she outlined how she conducted her research and discovered her key insights about shame, resilience, wholeheartedness, and vulnerability.The ideas in the book first surfaced in one of the most popular TED Talks of all time, "On the power of vulnerability." First delivered at TEDxHouston, Brown shared two decades of research along with her personal journey. You can watch the video here:https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7oWhat is Brené Brown's main message?
In choosing "Daring Greatly" as the title for her book, Brown looked to a speech given by Teddy Roosevelt in 1910.“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 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.”
The book explores the strength and courage it takes to be vulnerable in every aspect of life, love, and work. Armed with over a decade of research, she makes a compelling case for why we should choose to be vulnerable, and how it benefits ourselves, our relationships, and our society. You can watch Brown read the Teddy Roosevelt quote in this inspiring video: https://youtu.be/tdN9-DN09vkIn what order should I read Brene Brown's books? Readers ask this question every week, and Brown recommends starting with "Daring Greatly" as a practical introduction to her writing: "If you’re looking primarily for a book on courage and vulnerability, or you want something that talks about applying 'the work' at work."type: embedded-entry-inline id: 71WhSQ31bwQo4Hljh3WxRIWhat Kind of Books Does Brené Brown Write?
Every book by Brown is rooted in years of research. In Daring Greatly, she outlined the scale of her research methodology:“I interviewed 750 female participants, approximately 43 percent of whom identified themselves as Caucasian, 30 percent as African-American, 18 percent as Latina, and 9 percent as Asian-American. The female participants’ ages ranged from eighteen to eighty-eight years, with a mean of forty-one. I interviewed 530 men, approximately 40 percent of whom identified themselves as Caucasian, 25 percent as African-American, 20 percent as Latino, and 15 percent identified as Asian. The mean age of the men interviewed was forty-six (the range was eighteen to eighty).”
Her work focuses on four key concepts:Shame: “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging—something we’ve experienced, done, or failed to do makes us unworthy of connection.” Resilience: “the ability to say, ‘This hurts. This is disappointing, maybe even devastating. But success and recognition and approval are not the values that drive me. My value is courage and I was just courageous. You can move on, shame.’”Wholeheartedness: “facing uncertainty, exposure, and emotional risks, and knowing that I am enough.” Vulnerability: “the feeling we get during times of uncertainty, risk, or emotional exposure.”Learn more about all four concepts in another popular TED Talk by Brown! https://youtu.be/psN1DORYYV0Inspiring Brene Brown Quotes
Brown's work is filled with amazing affirmations and insights. We've collected a few of readers' favorite quotes, a way to explore her work and discover something to think about for the rest of the week!“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“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.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“What we know matters but who we are matters more.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“The willingness to show up changes us, it makes us a little braver each time.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“Numb the dark and you numb the light.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.” ― Brené Brown, “Daring Greatly”
Keep reading on Fable
Reading together with friends, family, and co-workers is a great way to enjoy the full mental and physical benefits of reading. We call this “social reading.” The Fable app is built for social reading could include everything for sharing highlights, comments, insights, links, pictures, and videos as you read together. Find a book club to join for free!We also make it easy to launch your own free book club. With our platform, you can host every aspect of an online discussion at a single destination, to reach readers and build safe online communities regardless of location or time zone.Start your own book club today!You can sample our ever-growing collection of Folios, exceptional book recommendations from some of the world’s great tastemakers. Each Folio covers an important theme, and some of our Folio curators include LeVar Burton, Paulo Coelho, Wolfgang Puck, and Jasmine Guillory. Discover great book recommendations!
Fable Editors