--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The authenticity paradox: vulnerability…" description: "\"“The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me and the first thing I look for in you.”\" — Brené Brown" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg" --- # The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing… ![“The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me and the first thing I look for in you.” quote by Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg) > ““The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me and the first thing I look for in you.”” [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Vulnerability is hidden from others but sought in them; true connection requires openness. **In simple terms:** Hide vulnerability, seek it in others. Key Takeaway Embrace and share vulnerability. Themes vulnerability authenticity relationships Mood hopeful reflective Type self‑help psychology When to use this quote - therapy sessions - team building - dating - parenting Key Concepts paradox of openness emotional risk Questions to Reflect On - How can you safely show vulnerability? - What do you look for in others? A Different Perspective People may fear exposure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Authenticity Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity-paradox-3344790/) [Paradox Vulnerability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox-vulnerability-3344791/) [Vulnerability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerability/) [Vulnerability Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerability-thing-808393/) ## Related quotes > [The difficult thing is that vulnerability is the first thing I look for in you and the last thing I'm willing to show you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/the-difficult-thing-is-that-vulnerability-is-the-first-thing-i-look/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [The most human thing we have to do in life is is to learn to speak our honest convictions and feelings and live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-human-thing-we-have-to-do-in-life-is-is-to-learn-to-speak/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. 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That means that letting people know the struggle behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/the-key-in-telling-stories-that-people-relate-to-is-not-surprisingly/) [Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/) > [“Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/like-a-columbus-of-the-heart-mind-and-soul-i-have-hurled-myself-off/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [“We live in an era where everyone is terrified of being caught trying. So, the defense mechanism is to pretend you never gave a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lokesh-tuli/we-live-in-an-era-where-everyone-is-terrified-of-being-caught-trying/) [Lokesh Tuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lokesh-tuli/) > [Leaders goal: Don't be afraid of vulnerability & transparency, (without being pitiful). People respond to authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-houston/leaders-goal-don-t-be-afraid-of-vulnerability-transparency-without/) [Brian Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-houston/) > [“It is almost as if we are all playing a big game of hide-and-go-seek. We all hide expecting to be found, but no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/it-is-almost-as-if-we-are-all-playing-a-big-game-of-hide-and-go-seek/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [Vulnerability is not about fear and grief and disappointment; it is the birthplace of everything we're hungry for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/vulnerability-is-not-about-fear-and-grief-and-disappointment-it-is/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Vulnerability is the core, the heart, the center, of meaningful human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/vulnerability-is-the-core-the-heart-the-center-of-meaningful-human/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Love is a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them - we can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/love-is-a-connection-that-can-only-be-cultivated-between-two-people/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/courage-starts-with-showing-up-and-letting-ourselves-be-seen/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) ## More by Brené Brown > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“always put off writing by reorganizing my entire house and spending way too much time and money buying office supplies and organizing systems. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/always-put-off-writing-by-reorganizing-my-entire-house-and-spending/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [When you ask people about love, they tell you about heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/when-you-ask-people-about-love-they-tell-you-about-heartbreak/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“I can recognize shame when it’s happening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-can-recognize-shame-when-it-s-happening/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I carry a small sheet of paper in my wallet that has written on it the names of people whose opinions of me matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-carry-a-small-sheet-of-paper-in-my-wallet-that-has-written-on-it/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/courage-starts-with-showing-up-and-letting-ourselves-be-seen/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/waking-up-every-day-and-loving-someone-who-may-or-may-not-love-us/) [Brene Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“No matter how separated we are by what we think and believe, we are part of the same spiritual story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/no-matter-how-separated-we-are-by-what-we-think-and-believe-we-are/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because there is no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal. Additionally, perfectionism is more about perception -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/perfectionism-is-self-destructive-simply-because-there-is-no-such/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/shame-corrodes-the-very-part-of-us-that-believes-we-are-capable-of/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/if-you-re-also-in-the-arena-and-you-re-putting-your-ideas-out-and-you/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“I found that men and women with high levels of shame resilience share these four elements: They understand shame and recognize what messages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-found-that-men-and-women-with-high-levels-of-shame-resilience-share/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/connection-gives-purpose-and-meaning-to-our-lives/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/but-here-s-the-tricky-part-about-compassion-and-connecting-we-can-t/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [“It turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it's the bravest and most sacred place you'll stand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/it-turns-out-to-be-the-place-of-true-belonging-and-it-s-the-bravest/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) [Explore all 759 Brené Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) ## More Authenticity quotes > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Real artists offer authenticity, not just money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhymefest/real-artists-offer-authenticity-not-just-money/) [Rhymefest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhymefest/) > [“I figure the more people think I'm just mildly weird, the less likely they are to know how weird I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hooyenga/i-figure-the-more-people-think-i-m-just-mildly-weird-the-less-likely/) [Melanie Hooyenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-hooyenga/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [“I strive for authenticity even though it brings with it vulnerability and the inevitable judgment of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee/i-strive-for-authenticity-even-though-it-brings-with-it-vulnerability/) [L.R.W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee/) > [Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/children-go-where-they-find-sincerity-and-authenticity/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/accepting-the-reality-of-our-sinfulness-means-accepting-our-authentic/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, focus your energy on what you can create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/instead-of-worrying-about-what-you-cannot-control-focus-your-energy/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [What I love about Nivea is they're all about authenticity. The brand isn't pretending to be anything it isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/what-i-love-about-nivea-is-they-re-all-about-authenticity-the-brand/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man's faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-which-so-certifies-the-genuineness-of-a-man-s-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're really famous, there's very little authenticity in people, so you prefer the company of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/when-you-re-really-famous-there-s-very-little-authenticity-in-people/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No man knows the genuineness of his convictions until he has sacrificed something for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/no-man-knows-the-genuineness-of-his-convictions-until-he-has/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) [Browse all 1,437 Authenticity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me and the first thing I look for in you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brené Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-is-the-last-thing-i-want-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authenticity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-is-the-last-thing-i-want-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c93/bren-brown-280_authenticity_the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-i_2785954.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the last thing I want you to see in me and the first thing I look…” — Brené Brown", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brené Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The authenticity paradox: vulnerability is the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-is-the-last-thing-i-want-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/the-authenticity-paradox-vulnerability-is-the-last-thing-i-want-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```