TED Talks Daily (#4) Elise’s Top Ten: The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown
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Sep 20, 2025 
Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and author, dives into the depths of human connection and vulnerability. She shares how her journey as a researcher-storyteller began, highlighting the importance of embracing our messy experiences. Discover her insights on shame, defining it as the fear of disconnection, and the traits of wholehearted living: courage, self-compassion, and authenticity. Brown also discusses the dangers of numbing vulnerability and offers powerful practices for nurturing worthiness and connection in both ourselves and our children.
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Researcher Turned Storyteller
- Brené Brown recounts an event planner debating whether to call her a researcher or storyteller and embraces both identities.
- She says she collects stories as data and calls herself a "researcher storyteller."
Connection Is Our Core Drive
- Brown found connection is central to human purpose and neurobiologically wired.
- Early research showed people told stories of disconnection when asked about love and belonging.
Shame Is Fear Of Disconnection
- Brown identifies shame as the fear of disconnection: worrying others will see something that makes you unworthy.
- She links shame's core to extreme vulnerability and the sense of not being enough.