To do this with any sort of success, Brown provides practices and tools that are meant to help us step into and become, what she calls “the wilderness”, both rooted deeply in our beliefs and integrity, and courageous enough to open ourselves to those around us even if we know it might not be popular opinion. Only through these moments of real connection can we better belong to ourselves and to one another.
Rather than continuing to stay in our bunkers and stonewalling (or fighting) with anyone who has a different belief than ours, Brown encourages us to learn to stand in the wilderness and begin to have the hard and painful conversations. So, while we may be gathered under the same bunkers of political ideology, we are really still alone. We are the most separated and siloed we have ever been, and despite being surrounded by the people who (likely) share our political beliefs, we are also the most lonely, isolated and disconnected we have ever been. Perhaps more importantly, if we stay inside these bunkers, we lose the ability to connect with those on the outside. She sees that our political parties have become gangs that leave no room for dissent amongst us. Here is a mini-review of the book, including reasons for its potency and relevance, and some of my favorite takeaways.īrown explores to the rise of disconnection in our communities. I had very high hopes for her newest work, and let me tell you, it surpassed even my incredibly high expectations. Brown’s work I try to reread her books Daring Greatly and Rising Strong every chance I get, and I am constantly recommending them to both clients and friends alike. Brené Brown’s newest book on the quest for true belonging in an era of emotional disconnection and political toxicity. I recently read Braving the Wilderness, Dr.