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Shame Quotes by Brené Brown

74 Shame quotes by Brené Brown

All Shame quotes Brené Brown’s page

Brené Brown explains that we can spot shame the moment it appears. She says that silence feeds it, while talking about it with someone we trust can shrink its grip. She also notes that when shame becomes a workplace rule, learning and creativity suffer.

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“I can recognize shame when it’s happening.”

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I think that shame is a universal, paralyzing, painful emotion.

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Shame cannot survive being spoken. It cannot survive empathy.

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Shame derives its power from being unspeakable.

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Empathy is the antidote to shame,

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If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.

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“The way to fight shame and to honor who we are is by sharing our experience with someone who has earned the…

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“Key Learning: Shame derives its power from being unspeakable. That’s why it loves perfectionists—we’re so easy to keep quiet. If”

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“To know shame is to be human. And to have the capacity for empathy is also to be human.”

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Guilt: I'm sorry. I made a mistake. Shame: I'm sorry. I am a mistake.

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“Empathy heals shame; sympathy exacerbates shame. We don't want people to feel sorry for us; we want people to be with us.”

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You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors.

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“No. Shame and self-esteem are very different issues. We feel shame. We think self-esteem.”

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Shame: We all have it. It's that gremlin that says 'I'm not enough.' Or, if you're feeling pretty confident,...'ooh, who do you…

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Self-compassion is key because when we're able to be gentle with ourselves in the midst of shame, we're more likely to reach…

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Shame cannot survive being spoken. It cannot tolerate having words wrapped around it. What it craves is secrecy, silence, and judgment. If…

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“When shame becomes a management style, engagement dies. When failure is not an option we can forget about learning, creativity, and innovation .”

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“Women most often experience shame as a web of layered, conflicting, and competing social-community expectations. The expectations dictate who we should be,…

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Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness illicits shame, and so they're afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of…

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When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of…

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Guilt is just as powerful, but its influence is positive, while shame's is destructive. Shame erodes our courage and fuels disengagement.

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We judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we’re doing. If I…

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“And if we all have shame, the good news is that we’re all capable of developing shame resilience. Shame resilience is the…

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“It is easy to see how quickly expectations become layered, competitive and conflicting. This is how the shame web works. We have…

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“At the exact time that our society embraces shaming, blaming, judgment, and rejection, it also holds acceptance and belonging as immensely important.…

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Squandering our gifts brings distress to our lives. As it turns out, it's not merely benign or 'too bad' if we don't…

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“The greatest gift of having done this work (the research and the personal work) is that I can recognize shame when it’s…

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If we are going to find our way out of shame and back to each other, vulnerability is the path and courage…

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Our stories are not meant for everyone. Hearing them is a privilege, and we should always ask ourselves this before we share:…

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“Shame Resilience 101 Here are the first three things that you need to know about shame: We all have it. Shame is…

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“In Jungian circles, shame is often referred to as the swampland of the soul. I’m not suggesting that we wade out into…

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“When we apologize for something we’ve done, make amends, or change a behavior that doesn’t align with our values, guilt—not shame—is most…

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“According to Dr. Hartling, in order to deal with shame, some of us move away by withdrawing, hiding, silencing ourselves, and keeping…

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“We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor…

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“I also see courage in myself when I'm willing to risk being vulnerable and disappointed. For many years, if I really wanted…

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“This is the shame of the woman whose hand hides her smile because her teeth are so bad, not the grand self-hate…

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“Knowing what I do now, I think about shame and worthiness in this way: 'It's the album, not the picture.' If you…

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Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.

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When perfectionism is driving us, shame is riding shotgun and fear is that annoying backseat driver!

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We judge people in areas where we're vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we're doing.

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More by Brené Brown

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When you ask people about love, they tell you about heartbreak.

“I can recognize shame when it’s happening.”

I carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet that has written on it the names of people whose opinions of me matter.…

Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.

Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can't ensure, who may stay in…

“No matter how separated we are by what we think and believe, we are part of the same spiritual story.”

Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal. Additionally, perfectionism is more about perception -…

Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.

If you're also in the arena and you're putting your ideas out and you're owning them and you're saying "I disagree with you about…

“I found that men and women with high levels of shame resilience share these four elements: They understand shame and recognize what messages and…

Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives.

“But here’s the tricky part about compassion and connecting: We can’t call just anyone. It’s not that simple. I have a lot of good…

“It turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it's the bravest and most sacred place you'll stand.”