Daring Greatly

Brené Brown, 2012

See why vulnerability is the birthplace of courage and connection, and learn to recognize shame and set down the armor that keeps you from being seen at home and work.

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14 parts, about 23 minutes to read.

Why read it

Defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure, and takes apart four myths, including that it is weakness
Separates shame from guilt and names four habits of people who stay resilient to shame, from reality checking its messages to reaching out
Shows how armor like perfectionism, numbing and foreboding joy keeps us from being seen, and how gratitude and the word enough loosen it

Who it is for

Perfectionists tired of worrying what other people will think
Leaders and teachers who want people to take risks
Parents who want to raise children who feel they are enough

What the summary covers

Daring Greatly in the Arena1 min
From Excruciating to Exquisite2 min
Scarcity: Never Enough1 min
Four Myths About Vulnerability3 min
Understanding Shame2 min
Shame Resilience1 min
Webs and Boxes2 min
The Vulnerability Armory2 min
Perfectionism and Numbing2 min
Rarer Shields1 min
Minding the Gap1 min
Rehumanizing School and Work2 min
Wholehearted Parenting2 min
Courage, Not Winning1 min

Recommended by

Gretchen RubinAuthor of The Happiness Project
The brilliantly insightful Brené Brown draws upon extensive research and personal experience to explore the paradoxes of courage: we become strong by embracing vulnerability, we dare more greatly when we acknowledge our fear.
Seth GodinAmerican author and marketing expert
A wonderful book: urgent, essential and fun to read.
Chris GuillebeauAmerican author and entrepreneur
In an age of constant pressure to conform and pretend, Daring Greatly offers a compelling alternative: transform your life by being who you really are.
Michael Bungay StanierAuthor of The Coaching Habit
Here’s the essence of this book: Vulnerability is courage in you but inadequacy in me.
Elizabeth LesserCofounder of the Omega Institute
I deeply trust Brené Brown–her research, her intelligence, her integrity, and her personhood.
Maria ShriverAmerican journalist and author
I believe the world needs more guides like her who are showing us a wiser way to our inner world.
Daniel H. PinkAmerican nonfiction author
Daring Greatly is an important book — a timely warning about the danger of pursuing certainty and control above all.
Harriet LernerClinical psychologist and author
The world needs this book and Brené’s unique blend of warmth, humor and ass-kicking makes her the perfect person to inspire us to dare greatly.
Ken RobinsonBritish author and arts education advisor
Brené Brown writes as she speaks, with wisdom, wit, candor and a deep sense of humanity.

About the author

Brené BrownEndowed chair at University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, and author
- Born on 18 November 1965; an American academic, author and podcaster.
- Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995, then a Master of Social Work in 1996 and a PhD in social work in 2002, both at the University of Houston.
- A research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work.
- She has spent two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy.
- Her TED talk "The Power of Vulnerability" is one of the five most viewed TED talks in the world, with over 60 million views.
- She is the CEO of The Daring Way, a training and certification program on vulnerability, courage, shame and empathy.
- She is the author of six number one New York Times bestsellers and the host of two award winning podcasts.
- In 2024 she was named Executive Chair of the Center for Daring Leadership at BetterUp.