Brene Brown is known for her insight and analysis into the complex social dynamics that make our lives more full: shame, vulnerability, and now, belonging. Her latest work, Braving the Wilderness, takes on the various ways we, as humans, construct communities around personality - based on the various principles of fitting in, versus truly feeling accepted while acting as ourselves - and how the failure to do so in a healthy or supportive way can detrimentally effect the ways we see ourselves, and even our perspectives on the humanity of the people around us.
Brown makes a point of saying that this book seemed especially difficult, but necessary, to write in the current political climate, and that it was the significant social divides criss-crossing our nation right now that provide the best examples of what it means to fit in, versus feel like you belong.
While I did agree with some of her points on this matter - that dehumanization of the opposite side on both parties is rampant and counter-productive, and that things like public humiliation and "calling out" behaviors that we see all the time in the news and on social media are not as productive as they are emotionally satisfying, which can be dangerous - there was still a lot I was left to contend with.
As someone who would consider herself to be fairly politically involved, and who is a part of several communities that are as well, I strongly disagreed with some of her statements in regards to what qualify as a boundary lines of considering the sense of humanity in others, and the road to bipartisanship, and wonder if her position about such matters have changed since writing and publishing the book.
Beyond that, one of the things I appreciate so much about Brown is her attention to language.... everything she writes seems to come from a place of deliberate kindness and support, and she really leans into the concept of having everything she says truly come from the heart. Even though I did have slight grievances with some of her material, there was such an underlying constant to everything she was explaining, which was so earnest and authentic, that I was easily able to take what I believe to be adverse perspectives in stride, because they are truly things that she believes.
I also appreciate that she never sacrifices those parts of herself that are authentic, strictly for the benefit of other people. She is a qualitative researcher who draws a lot of her examples from her own firsthand account, so her sense of project narrative is derived inexplicably from her personal experiences, which means that things like her faith and background will always be present in her works. It was some of her commentary on God in politics that struck me as so poignant, I actually took pictures of those pages, and saved them on my phone because I liked them so much.
Final Verdict: I'm still a fan of Brown, but this wasn't one of my favorites of her works. If you're looking to try her out for the first time, I'd recommend starting with Daring Greatly, and maybe working your way to this one once you've gotten the hang of her writing style!
No comments:
Post a Comment