Parents' Guide to Brene Brown: The Call to Courage

As in her Ted Talk, Brene Brown stands on a stage and shares her wit, charm, and wisdom with an adoring audience in this taping of a 2019 live lecture. Although Brown's research spans the diverse fields of shame, empathy, courage, and vulnerability, BRENE BROWN: THE CALL TO COURAGE focuses on vulnerability as a prerequisite for courage, for achievement, for risk-taking, and ultimately for a joyous and fulfilling life. She argues against those who view vulnerability as weakness, and those who say they can do vulnerability "alone" (it requires exposure to other people and social or work situations) and those who consider it wimpy (there's no bravery without it, she explains). She tells several personal stories about mistakes she's made but mostly the stories illustrate the correct, productive response she's eventually chooses in difficult emotional situations. Notable advice she offers CEOs trying to address sexism, racism, and other biases in the workplace is to expect those difficult conversations to, at first, go badly because they will inevitably reveal prejudices and resentments, which is part of the process of minimizing prejudices. She claims to be an introvert, suggesting that giving public talks is her act of bravery (and therefore vulnerability). She speaks casually and that includes language -- "f--k," "s--t," "ass" -- that some parents might want reserved for only their oldest teens.