I’ve done reviews on a couple of Brene Brown’s books, and today we’ll add another one to the collection. I just finished Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, and I’m a fan. There was some common ground between this book and her other books I’ve read. Specifically, Daring Greatly discusses scarcity culture, vulnerability myths, the armory, and wholehearted parenting. Rising Strong discusses how to get back up after you are vulnerable and fall. Dare to Lead covered the entire rumble process and its applications.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and am receiving no compensation for writing this article.
Daring Greatly | Brene Brown
Like Brene Brown’s other books, Daring Greatly is based on her research of vulnerability and shame. It outlines the culture of scarcity (made up of shame, comparison, and disengagement), gives ways of combating it, and discusses applications at the end. I thought her assertion that the opposite of scarcity is enough (not abundance) was interesting.
Vulnerability Myths
Daring Greatly discusses the 4 vulnerability myths and debunks them. Brown outlines these myths as:
- Vulnerability is weakness.
- I don’t do vulnerability.
- We can go it alone.
- Trust comes before vulnerability.
The Armory
This book has an entire chapter dedicated to the armor we take up to “protect” us from vulnerability. These pieces of armor make it difficult to make authentic connections and live wholeheartedly. Brene Brown asserts that the antidote to the armor is believing you are enough.
Common Vulnerability Arsenal
Brene Brown singled out three pieces of armor that are most commonly used:
- Foreboding Joy (Antidote: practicing gratitude)
- Perfectionism (Antidote: self-compassion)
- Numbing (Antidotes: setting boundaries, finding true comfort, cultivating spirit)
Less frequently used armor includes:
- Viking or victim mentality
- Oversharing (floodlighting, smash and grab)
- Serpentining (zig-zagging and dodging vulnerability)
- Cynicism, criticism, cool, and cruelty
Wholehearted Parenting
Wholehearted parenting means you are practicing your values with your children. Model the things you want your kids to do. Be the adult you want to see your kids grow into. Hypocrisy leads to disengagement, so be authentic with your kids.
Daring Greatly
Overall, I thought this was an insightful book. My biggest takeaway was that I need to overcome my perfectionism with self-compassion if I don’t want to pass it on to my children. I recommend you pick up a copy and check it out yourself.
Looking for another great self-help book? Check out Rising Strong.
