Brene Brown is a bestselling author and researcher on the topics of shame and vulnerability. Her popular 2010 TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability struck a chord with millions. And all her books since then have been bestsellers, including The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, Dare to Lead, and Atlas of the Heart.
In this talk from the RSA, Brown emphasizes the prevalence of fear and blame in contemporary society. When we go through the day's news, it's almost always concerning what we should be afraid of and who is to blame. Brown says this societal obsession also translates into our personal lives, which are plagued with fear and blame. She also points out the pernicious pervasiveness of shame and perfectionism. Brown encourages us to flip the script on these emotions by pushing us towards empathy and vulnerability. She defines the difference between sympathy and empathy and provides many examples of how we can put empathy to work in our daily lives.