You know, the irony is that we attempt to disown our difficult stories… and in doing so, we actually block our own path to becoming whole. It’s a powerful, counterintuitive truth that Brené Brown nails in her work.
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Meaning
We think hiding our struggles makes us look stronger, but true strength and completeness come from embracing our entire story—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Explanation
Let me break this down from my own experience. We’re all walking around trying to curate this perfect, seamless version of ourselves for the world, right? We edit out the failures, the embarrassments, the heartbreaks. We think that’s how we become “whole.” But here’s the kicker—that curated version is actually fragmented. It’s missing pieces. True wholeness, that deep-down sense of being okay and enough, doesn’t happen by hiding the messy parts. It happens when you stop fighting your own history and start integrating it. When you take that story of a professional failure or a personal fall and you weave it into the fabric of who you are. That’s where real, unshakeable confidence comes from. Not from a perfect facade, but from a fully acknowledged life.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Category | Wisdom (385) |
| Topics | acceptance (73), authenticity (101), growth (413) |
| Literary Style | didactic (370) |
| Emotion / Mood | reflective (382) |
| Overall Quote Score | 83 (302) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is straight from Brené Brown’s 2015 book, Rising Strong. It’s a core concept in her research on vulnerability and resilience. You sometimes see similar sentiments floating around misattributed to other self-help figures, but this phrasing and the underlying research are uniquely Brown’s.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Brene Brown (257) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Rising Strong (30) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3669) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Dr Brene Brown is the author of books such as Daring Greatly and The Power of Vulnerability. The TED talk and Netflix production based on her research reached out to millions of audience. She researches effects of courage and vulnerability in shaping people's work and relationships. She leads the Brené Brown Education and Research Group and provides evidence-based insights into practical tools to help people train themselves
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The irony is that we attempt to disown our difficult stories to appear more whole or more acceptable, but our wholeness—even our wholeheartedness—actually depends on the integration of all our experiences, including the falls |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2015; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9780812995824; Last edition. Number of pages: 336. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page, The Reckoning section |