<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bren%C3%A9_Brown">Brené Brown </a>is the world’s #1 researcher on shame, vulnerability, and courage. An American professor, author, and podcaster born in 1965, Brené’s work first received widespread public attention after <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability/">her 2010 TEDx talk </a>on “the power of vulnerability.” If you’re looking for the best Brené Brown quotes from her books and talks, you’ve come to the right place!

Despite covering important topics that affect all of us, Brené’s research initially wasn’t super popular among her academic peers. After her TED talk went viral, however, it became clear that mainstream demand to learn more about shame and vulnerability was huge. That’s why Brené started publishing <a href="https://brenebrown.com/books-audio">books </a>, and so far, 6 of her 8 main titles have become major bestsellers.

To give you an overview of her work and best ideas, we’ve compiled the most popular Brené Brown quotes for you in an organized list. Besides the top 10 lines based on reader votes, we’ve also included the top 5 quotes from 7 of her books each, as well as some custom-designed images for you to share your favorites on social media.

Navigating this list is as easy as clicking on the section that most interests you in the table of contents below. To share any quote, just highlight the text, and sharing options will appear. You can also use the images towards the end of this list. Now, without further ado, let’s jump into the best quotes from Brené Brown!

1. “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

2. “Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them — we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.”

3. “Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”

4. “You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.”

5. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”

6. “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

7. “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

8. “Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”

9. “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.”

10. “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”

11. “Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.”

12. “If you want to make a difference, the next time you see someone being cruel to another human being, take it personally. Take it personally because it is personal!”

13. “Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is ‘cor’ — the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant ‘To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.’ Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences — good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as ‘ordinary courage.’”

14. “Compassion is not a virtue — it is a commitment. It’s not something we have or don’t have — it’s something we choose to practice.”

15. “The biggest potential for helping us overcome shame is this: We are ‘those people.’ The truth is…we are the others. Most of us are one paycheck, one divorce, one drug-addicted kid, one mental health illness, one sexual assault, one drinking binge, one night of unprotected sex, or one affair away from being ‘those people’ — the ones we don’t trust, the ones we pity, the ones we don’t let our kids play with, the ones bad things happen to, the ones we don’t want living next door.”

16. “We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”

17. “The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.”

18. “Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”

19. “Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”

20. “Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”

21. “If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.”

22. “When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.”

23. “What we know matters but who we are matters more.”

24. “The willingness to show up changes us, It makes us a little braver each time.”

25. “Numb the dark and you numb the light.”

26. “Compassionate people ask for what they need. They say no when they need to, and when they say yes, they mean it. They’re compassionate because their boundaries keep them out of resentment.”

27. “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

28. “Just because someone isn’t willing or able to love us, it doesn’t mean that we are unlovable.”

29. “There are too many people today who instead of feeling hurt are acting out their hurt; instead of acknowledging pain, they’re inflicting pain on others. Rather than risking feeling disappointed, they’re choosing to live disappointed. Emotional stoicism is not badassery. Blustery posturing is not badassery. Swagger is not badassery. Perfection is about the furthest thing in the world from badassery.”

30. “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”

31. “Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.”

33. “People often silence themselves, or ‘agree to disagree’ without fully exploring the actual nature of the disagreement, for the sake of protecting a relationship and maintaining connection. But when we avoid certain conversations, and never fully learn how the other person feels about all of the issues, we sometimes end up making assumptions that not only perpetuate but deepen misunderstandings, and that can generate resentment.”

34. “You are only free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.”

35. “But what we know now is that when we deny our emotion, it owns us. When we own our emotion, we can rebuild and find our way through the pain.”

36. “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”

37. “At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized.”

38. “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”

39. “If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I’m not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their lives but who will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgment at those who dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fearmongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in what you have to say. ”

40. “Show up for people in pain and don’t look away.”

41. “Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short run, but it will never make you less afraid.”

42. “Science is not the truth. Science is finding the truth. When science changes its opinion, it didn’t lie to you. It learned more.”

43. “I am responsible for holding you accountable in a respectful and productive way. I’m not responsible for your emotional reaction to that accountability.”

44. “Good friends aren’t afraid of your light. They never blow out your flame and you don’t blow out theirs — even when it’s really bright and it makes you worry about your own flame.”

45. “People will do almost anything to not feel pain, including causing pain and abusing power.”

Are you looking for the best quotes from Brené Brown, the world's #1 researcher on shame, courage & vulnerability? Here are her top lines.

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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Motivation & Inspiration

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Mental Health

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Love & Relationships

The 45 Best Brené Brown Quotes About Courage, Shame & Vulnerability

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most serious clinical entities in existence. Under the umbrella of the label ‘serious syndromes’, there are only two more disorders: bipolarity and psychosis. Sufferers of BPD experience extraordinary difficulties when it comes to interpersonal relationships. They often feel abandoned by those around them. Consequently, a lack of interpersonal stability is the norm rather than the exception. They tend to oscillate between two extremes, either praising or denigrating the people around them.

What Is BPD? 

This clinical entity is characterized by a typical way of behaving that begins in adolescence and continues throughout adulthood.Sufferers of BPD have difficulty managing the way they relate to others, as well as the way they perceive themselves. Their behaviors are often driven by impulsiveness and they experience great difficulties regulating their emotions.

An approach to borderline personality disorder (BPD)

According to the American Psychiatric Association, sufferers must also exhibit five or more of the following symptoms:<ul><li>They intensely avoid feeling alone/abandoned</li><li>They relate in an unstable way to others </li><li>Their identities are poorly constructed; lack of stability in their own image and in the Self</li><li>Extremely impulsive</li><li>They threaten to harm themselves and inflict self-harm</li><li>They’re emotionally unstable</li><li>They feel permanently ’empty’</li><li>Tend to lack control over their anger; they find it difficult to exercise their will over their emotions</li><li>They may present paranoid ideas and dissociative symptoms</li></ul>

Characteristics for Diagnosis of BPD

The origin of BPD is currently unknown. It’s believed that childhood trauma could play a relevant role. In fact, for authors like Stern, this disorder lies somewhere between neurosis and psychosis.If the sufferer was faced with a context in which their thoughts and feelings were given little credibility and validation when they were young, this becomes a risk factor for the development of BPD.

Origins

Social cognition is the way we think of others. It alludes to how we process the information that comes from our social universe. Cognition can be understood from the perspective of a set of abilities. These involve the ability to assign mental states both to others and to ourselves, in relation to thoughts, feelings, and intentions in the form of actions.Social cognition relates to the way in which people operate with information gathered from their interpersonal relationships. It alludes to how they perceive and interpret it and how they react.

Social Cognition

People with this disorder are extraordinarily sensitive to messages from others. This is related to social cognition in two ways:<ul><li>In cognitive terms, they present alterations in their ability to mentalize. The ability to reflect on what others may be thinking and what their intentions are.</li><li>Experience affective difficulties with their empathic capacity. Difficulties to experience the emotion that another person is feeling.</li></ul>It’s extremely difficult for them to express themselves and to understand the emotions that characterizes the human being.

Alterations of social cognition in BPD

Deficits in social cognition in sufferers of borderline personality disorder would explain their social instability.

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Personal Development

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Science & Nature

Social Cognition in Borderline Personality Disorder

Denial is a defense mechanism that can hinder personal and spiritual growth by blocking our awareness of unconscious patterns. By understanding the ways denial operates, we can become more aware of ourselves and our actions, and work towards a healthier, more authentic life. These ideas provide practical advice on how to overcome denial and grow spiritually.

Uncovering the Hidden: How to Overcome Denial and Grow Spiritually

Denial is a defense mechanism that protects us from painful or threatening experiences by blocking our awareness of them. While it may seem helpful in the short term, denial can prevent us from confronting and resolving underlying issues. Some common forms of denial include minimizing, rationalizing, and avoidance.<ul><li>Denial is a psychological mechanism that helps us cope with difficult emotions and experiences.</li><li>Denial can prevent us from addressing and resolving underlying issues.</li><li>Common forms of denial include minimizing, rationalizing, and avoidance.</li></ul>

What is denial, and how does it affect us?

Denial can have serious consequences for our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. By refusing to acknowledge and address our problems, we risk becoming trapped in a cycle of negative behavior and thought patterns. Denial can also limit our ability to connect with others and form meaningful relationships.<ul><li>Denial can have serious consequences for our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.</li><li>Refusing to acknowledge and address our problems can lead to negative behavior and thought patterns.</li><li>Denial can limit our ability to form meaningful connections with others.</li></ul>

How does denial hold us back?

Overcoming denial requires a commitment to self-exploration and growth. By becoming more aware of our unconscious patterns, we can begin to identify and address areas of our lives that need improvement. This may involve engaging in practices such as meditation, journaling, or therapy.<ul><li>Overcoming denial requires a commitment to self-exploration and growth.</li><li>Becoming more aware of our unconscious patterns is key to identifying areas of our lives that need improvement.</li><li>Engaging in practices such as meditation, journaling, or therapy can help us become more aware of ourselves.</li></ul>

How can we become more aware of our unconscious patterns?

Acceptance is a key part of overcoming denial and moving towards personal and spiritual growth. By accepting ourselves and our experiences, we can begin to let go of negative patterns and beliefs that no longer serve us. This may involve embracing vulnerability, practicing self-compassion, and cultivating a sense of gratitude.<ul><li>Acceptance is key to overcoming denial and moving towards personal and spiritual growth.</li><li>Embracing vulnerability, practicing self-compassion, and cultivating gratitude can help us cultivate acceptance.</li></ul>

How can we cultivate acceptance?

Denial can be a powerful force that prevents us from growing and becoming our best selves. However, by understanding the ways in which denial operates, we can begin to take steps towards greater awareness and acceptance. Through practices such as meditation, therapy, and self-compassion, we can learn to uncover the hidden aspects of ourselves and embrace a more fulfilling life.

Conclusion

Are you ready to break free from denial and become more self-aware? Join me as we explore the unconscious patterns that hold us back from personal and spiritual growth.

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Religion & Spirituality

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Mindfulness

Breaking Free from Denial: A Path to Self-Awareness

"Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen."-Brene Brown

Author Quote 

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588356-daring-greatly">Daring Greatly </a>is a book about having the courage to be vulnerable in a world where everyone wants to appear strong, confident and like they know what they’re doing.

Daring Greatly - Book Summary

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588356-daring-greatly">Daring Greatly </a> sure was a surprise hit for me. First of all, if you don’t know <a href="http://brenebrown.com/about/">Brené Brown </a>, she’s a social worker, researcher, PhD and explorer of all things human, especially topics, or rather feelings, like courage, vulnerability and shame. Her <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability">TED talk </a> sits smack behind Simon Sinek’s <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/start-with-why-summary/">Start With Why </a>  on the top TED talks of all time list with 25 million views. This book, one of her three New York Times bestsellers, explains how vulnerability is at the core of all feelings – not just bad ones like fear, anxiety and shame, but also good ones like love, joy, and passion. She says that we could all use a little more vulnerability in our lives, because it’s neither bad nor good. It just is, and embracing it means being courageous.

She says that we could all use a little more vulnerability in our lives, because it’s neither bad nor good. It just is, and embracing it means being courageous.

<ol><li>Vulnerability means strength, not weakness. </li><li>Understand and verbalize your shame to make it go away. </li><li>Children can only become who you are, so be a role model. </li> </ol>Are you willing to open up and let this book into your life? I hope you are, because Brené’s ideas are very powerful.

Top 3 Book Lessons On Vulnerability

First, Brené makes two core points about vulnerability. <ol><li>Vulnerability isn’t good or bad . It’s not a black and white subject. It’s just a part of life and if you experience it, it means you’re able to feel things. </li><li>Allowing yourself to actually be vulnerable is a sign of strength and courage . It’s a lot easier to avoid the things that might make you vulnerable, rather than lean into them. But that also means we’re missing out on a lot of good things. </li> </ol>

Lesson 1: If you can be vulnerable, it means you’re strong.

For example, if you’ve ever loved someone you know that being in love makes you very vulnerable. You allow someone into your heart and give them incredible power, which includes the power to hurt you. But only if you accept this state of vulnerability do you have a shot at all the love, joy and kindness you might experience from that relationship. This means vulnerability isn’t just the source of pain and grief, but also the root of many positive emotions.

Note:  I’m getting coffee with a girl I haven’t really seen in six years today. I was in love with her in high school and it scares the shit out of me to see her again. But if I don’t go I’ll never know why, so my best bet is to go there, be vulnerable, show myself and see what’s to come.

Second, you could hide from the things that make you vulnerable. The responsibility for a project at work. The girl or guy you haven’t seen in forever. <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-war-of-art-summary/">The art you want to create </a>. But you know that’s a cop out. Leaning into vulnerability is something only the strong, the truly courageous can do.

What’s worse than completely bombing a speaking gig? Being ashamed about bombing a speaking gig and never doing one again. There’s a quote that goes “Failure is temporary, giving up is what makes it permanent.” Shame is what makes you give up. “I’m ashamed that I wasn’t there for my son when he was little.” “I’m ashamed I didn’t try harder at being a good wedding planner.”

Lesson 2: Build a resilience to shame by understanding it

“I’m ashamed at work, because my co-workers talk about me behind my back.” Have you thought any of these? Or other variations? I bet you have. But have you said them? Try it. I just did this morning. There’s a certain level of ridicule to be found in every single shame you express. Pinpointing what actually makes you feel ashamed and saying it out loud takes a lot of power from shame .

Nobody wants to talk about shame. It’s uncomfortable. But the less you do, the more power it has. Instead, pull at it. Drag it out. Throw it into the light. And address it directly. You’ll see things aren’t as worrisome as they seem and that you can live past failure.

Whether you have kids or not, I thought this was worth taking away. Your children can only inherit qualities you possess yourself . If you’re sloppy, your children will be sloppy. If you’re organized, your children will be organized. And if you’re constantly shame-ridden, you’ll traumatize your kids by making them feel the same. If you’ve been bullied, threatened or otherwise traumatized as a kid, you know that most childhood trauma comes from shame. Shame about an event, behavior, or even just about how others have treated us.

Lesson 3: Be a role model for your (future) kids

Therefore, it’s your job to make your home and family a shame-free zone . It’s the only way your kids will grow up feeling worthy, loved and able to truly be themselves. Instead of talking about values like honesty, courage and ambition, live them. Be honest. Be courageous. Be ambitious. The best thing you can do for your kids, born or not, is to be a role model. It’s all the parenting they need.

I think the reason Brené’s TED talk and work responds with so many people is that she went through all of the struggles she describes herself. When she first discovered that vulnerability was at the core of any life, especially any good life – she broke down. Researchers and scientists aren’t exactly out to be vulnerable. They’re trying to measure things so they can predict the future better. That’s quite the opposite, so it took some time for her to deal with this new situation and data.

Daring Greatly - Boo Review

You can feel that in her talks and writing. She’s not a bullshit artist. She’s seen the dark side. And she’s here to tell us not only that we have to do too, but that we can and that it’ll be okay. A wonderful person to learn from. I highly recommended <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588356-daring-greatly">Daring Greatly </a> .

The 15 year old, shy schoolboy, who’s being bullied, the 25 year old mother of this boy, and anyone who never talks about what they’re ashamed of.

Who would I recommend the Daring Greatly to?

Daring Greatly (Brene Brown) - Book Summary

This Daring Greatly summary explains why vulnerability is at the core of all feelings, how to overcome shame through speaking & what makes a good parent.

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Parenting

Daring Greatly Summary

In a world where distractions are plentiful, and stress and anxiety are common, cultivating personal and spiritual growth has become more important than ever before. It is essential to take time for self-reflection, personal exploration, and intentional living. By becoming more conscious, we can live life more fully, experience deeper relationships, and cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Today, we will explore how to become more conscious, and practical ways to cultivate positive changes in our lives.

Cultivating Consciousness

The first step in the journey of consciousness is self-awareness. It involves taking time to reflect on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and asking key questions about our values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and aspirations.<ul><li>Self-awareness involves understanding why we behave in certain ways and making more conscious choices.</li><li>Reflecting on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can help us identify our needs and desires.</li></ul>

Self-Awareness

Mindfulness is another key aspect of the journey of consciousness. It involves being present in the moment without judgment and paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.<ul><li>Practicing mindfulness can help us become more focused and less reactive to negative thoughts and emotions.</li><li>Mindfulness can be practiced in various ways, including sitting in silence and focusing on the breath, or being mindful during everyday activities.</li></ul>

Gratitude is a powerful tool for cultivating positive changes in life. It involves focusing on what we're grateful for, which can shift our attention away from negative thoughts and feelings.<ul><li>Practicing gratitude can help us develop a more positive outlook on life.</li><li>Starting a gratitude journal and expressing appreciation to others are practical ways to practice gratitude.</li></ul>

Gratitude

Connection is essential for personal and spiritual growth. It involves nurturing relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, connecting with like-minded individuals, and developing empathy and understanding towards others.<ul><li>Connection can help us feel a sense of belonging and community.</li><li>Listening actively and showing empathy can deepen our connections with others.</li><li>Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can support us on our journey of consciousness.</li></ul>

Connection

Compassion is a crucial component of the journey of consciousness. It involves being kind and understanding towards ourselves and others, even in difficult situations.<ul><li>Practicing compassion can help us develop a greater sense of empathy and connection with others.</li><li>Treating ourselves with kindness and understanding can make us more resilient in the face of challenges.</li><li>Compassion is about being kind, not only to others, but also to ourselves.</li></ul>

Compassion

The journey of consciousness involves becoming aware of what's going on within and around us, and cultivating personal and spiritual growth. It's not about fixing or improving ourselves, but coming to know ourselves in all our many aspects.<ul><li>The journey of consciousness is a lifelong one, but also the most rewarding and empowering one we can take.</li><li>By practicing self-awareness, mindfulness, gratitude, connection, and compassion, we can cultivate positive changes in our lives.</li><li>Personal and spiritual growth come from understanding ourselves and our surroundings.</li></ul>

Here, we explore practical steps that can be taken to cultivate personal and spiritual growth by embarking on a journey of consciousness.

A Journey to Personal and Spiritual Growth

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40595446-a-woman-of-no-importance">A Woman of No Importance </a>tells the fascinating and exciting story of Virginia Hall, an American who became one of the best spies for the Allies in World War II and helped significantly in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

A Woman Of No Significance - Book Summary 

"Valor rarely reaps the dividends it should."-Sonia Purnell

Every once in a while, I hear a story so intriguing that I think, “Why haven’t they made this into a movie yet?” The story of Virginia Hall in her biography <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40595446-a-woman-of-no-importance">A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II </a>, was exactly that kind of story.  Haven’t heard of her? I hadn’t either. But believe it or not, she was one of the most important spies in American history. So how has her story been unknown all this time? This quote from Hall herself might give you something of an explanation:  “Many of my friends were killed for talking too much.”

Book Overview

But now, almost 40 years after her death, she is getting her moment. With the help of journalist and author <a href="https://www.soniapurnell.com/about">Sonia Purnell </a>, we get to hear the details of her fascinating life. As an espionage in enemy territory, she secretly established operative networks and eventually lead a group of resistance who sabotaged Nazi armies. Those who knew her would say she had a hand in paving the way to <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/i-wear-the-black-hat-summary/">Hitler </a>‘s defeat.

<ol><li>Too independent to marry, Hall went on to study in Europe and pursue a political career even though she lost a leg in a terrible accident. </li><li>After multiple failed attempts to join the war efforts, she finally became a member of the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, almost by accident.  </li><li>Virginia’s work helped in many different ways during World War II, including the vital preparations for D-Day. </li> </ol>

Top 3 Book Lessons 

Virginia Hall got her start as the daughter of a wealthy banker father and an ambitious socialite mother. Even though her father had a large inheritance, he squandered it. Her mom’s focus was to redeem her lost wealth through the marrying up of her daughter. But Virginia wasn’t like the typical girl of her era. She loved to hunt and didn’t care about finding a suitor and settling down. However, to please her mother, she got engaged at 18. But as independent as she was, it didn’t last, and she moved on to bigger endeavors.

Lesson 1: After denying an engagement, Hall studied in Europ

So she left for Paris to experience the world and get her education, and she fell in love with Europe. By the time she graduated she knew five languages and was knowledgeable in European politics. After school, she set out to get into diplomatic service. But Hall soon found that it wasn’t easy to get a position like this as a woman. Instead, she took a secretarial position in Poland. This was when things got even harder for her because of a horrific hunting accident.

Virginia shot her foot and an amputation of it below the knee left her with a wooden leg. But this didn’t stop her <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-start-up-of-you-summary/">ambitions </a>. She named her peg leg “Cuthbert” and set out to somehow serve in World War II.

With World War II unfolding, Virginia had to leave her post in Estonia. She fled to England, where she joined the women’s branch of the British Army and drove ambulances around France. In 1940, Paris was abandoned and Hitler’s troops took over. Germany held the occupation of the North. But the South remained a “free zone” that was run by a puppet regime. With the German occupation of France, Virginia fled to the southern border town of Irun, though she longed to help the country she had grown to love. This is where she had a chance meeting with British secret service officer George Bellows.

Lesson 2: Virginia wanted to help with the war efforts

He posed as a <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-greatest-salesman-in-the-world-summary/">salesman </a>, but he was secretly on a desperate search for members to join the Special Operations Executive (SOE). This was a secret service created by Britain to undermine Hitler in France. Virginia didn’t know his job or that he was interviewing her as they talked. When he heard about her previous experience and her longing to help France’s cause in the war, he knew he had found a recruit. He just didn’t know how valuable she would be yet.

After training, Virginia was sent to southern France to create a secret network of resistance fighters. She created a valuable network of dozens of people and soon they were in business sabotaging the German army. Unfortunately, through a captured agent, the <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/ego-is-the-enemy-summary/">enemy </a>found the address to a safehouse and was able to use it as a mousetrap to capture all agents but Hall, leaving her alone. But this didn’t stop her.

Lesson 3: The experiences Hall had during World War II

She set up a plan that involved sending an elderly priest in a wheelchair with a radio beneath his robes into where they were being held and persuading a guard to get his colleagues drunk in exchange for his <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/capitalism-and-freedom-summary/">freedom </a>. All of her colleagues were freed.

But word got out of her success, and Nazi intelligence knew from intercepted radio that a woman, referred to as “the limping lady” was orchestrating the resistance. Thousands of posters with Hall’s image were posted throughout France with the words, “The Enemy’s Most Dangerous Spy. We Must Find and Destroy Her.” She narrowly escaped and fled to Spain across a snowy mountain range on foot, an agonizing journey with her wooden leg.

Her final mission was to work with the United States to prepare for the Allies to invade France. Disguised as a peasant, she organized resistance into units. They did everything from derailing trains and redirecting signs to lead conveys into ravines to disguising explosives as horse manure and leaving them on roads. Before D Day, she signaled French resistance troops to help the invasion of Normandy.

Whoa, that was a cool story! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40595446-a-woman-of-no-importance">A Woman Of No Importance </a>is the kind of action-packed historical book that makes me wonder when the movie is coming out! I don’t usually like history books, but this one did have me on the edge of my seat.

A Woman Of No Importance - Book Review

The 32-year-old history buff who would like to hear a lesser-known story about World War II, the 56-year-old that loves France and wants to know more of its history, and anyone who loves a good adventure.

Who would I recommend the A Woman Of No Importance to?

The A Woman Of No Importance Summary shares stories from the adventurous life of Virginia Hall, an American who became a spy for the allies in World War II.

education

Learning & Education

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

A Woman Of No Importance Summary

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2413423.A_Splendid_Exchange">A Splendid Exchange </a>outlines the history of global trade, revealing its older than we think, has enabled the progress of civilization, and continues to change the world on a daily basis.

A Splendid Exchange - Book Summary 

"Few other historical inquiries tell us as much about the world we live in today as does the search for the origins of world trade."-William J. Bernstein

Author Quo

<ol><li>One of the earliest trades in history dealt with stones. </li><li>You never just trade the items you exchange. </li><li>Not all innovations that helped foster global trade were about transporting goods. </li> </ol>Chances are over 50% of the items you use daily have not been manufactured in your country. It probably makes sense to learn why, don’t you think? That’s exactly what we’ll do right now.

There is a place in modern-day Iraq that is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization">the cradle of civilization </a>. In the middle of nowhere, between two rivers that reconnect at the Persian Gulf, the Euphrates and the Tigris, lies our ancient history. Then called Mesopotamia, this was one of the first urban hubs in the world.

Lesson 1: The first item traded long-distance was…a stone.

Lying between two rivers, hence the term ‘cradle,’ Mesopotamia was rich in barley, fish, wool and other farmable products. What it lacked, however, was building materials to create its infrastructure – houses, paths, shelter, and so on. As early as 3,000 BC, they decided to try and exchange their surplus of farm goods for those materials, like lumber, marble, and precious metals. They began trading with Persia, Oman and Lebanon and soon, the Persian Gulf was a center of commerce!

However, the very first long-distance trade happened a lot earlier still, around 12,000 BC. It also originated from Mesopotamia, but involved a different export: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian">Obsidian stone </a>. We don’t know why and what it was traded for, but researchers found the rare, black material, that is today often used for decorative elements and in expensive floors, in a cave in Greece, over 2,000 miles away from its source.

In the Middle Ages, wealthy royals showed off their power in the form of huge castles and pompous decor. But there was another vice of the rich that could never be flaunted for long: spices. Salt, pepper, cinnamon, all of these were incredibly rare in Europe, so dangerous journeys had to be taken to get them. That’s why merchants often sold them for a cool 100% in profit and doctors all added them to their medicines, even though they didn’t do anything.

Lesson 2: Trading always involves more goods than just the traded items and sometimes, they can be deadly.

The rise in spice trade had its price, however. One, because European merchants often traded slaves to Arab countries for it, and two, because alongside their spices, they imported something else entirely: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death">the plague </a>. The Black Death reduced the global population by as much as 20%, wiping out up to half of Europe. We would not see those population levels again for 400 years.

This disease likely originated in the Himalayas in China and took years to spread, but imagine something like this happened today. True, our hygiene and medical care is exponentially better, but we’re also much more connected, so viruses can spread a lot faster. If you’re fascinated by this, the movie <a href="http://amzn.to/2Fus48J">Contagion </a>gives a good idea. What’s the lesson? You never just trade item A for item B. There are always other factors involved.

When we think of the history of trade, our minds quickly wander to new means of transportation. It’s true that two major reasons why you could eat strawberries year round in New York as early as 1900 originate from this industry: the steamship and the railroad. The former surpassed the sailboat as the preferred type of ship in 1890, the latter helped transport goods cross-country, even in terrible weather conditions.

Lesson 3: One of the biggest enablers of transcontinental trade had nothing to do with transportation.

However, there was one <a href="http://fourminutebooks.com/the-idea-factory-summary/">invention </a>that had nothing to do with transportation, but without which neither of the above two would have meant anything: refrigeration . Around 1830, we first figured out how to freeze perishable goods without breaking them, and that made all the difference.

You could now preserve meats, flowers, vegetables and fruits for as long as the journey to their final destination would take. With shipping prices dropping more and more, it eventually became economical to ship not just large bulks of goods, but also smaller amounts. This ultimately led to what we’re so used to today: a supermarket that’s stocked to the brim with items from all around the globe!

In school I thought history was boring. Now I know better. Understanding the past is the single best way to figure out what’s going on today. Whether you want to improve your business, become a better investor, or just come up with better ideas for yourself, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2413423.A_Splendid_Exchange">A Splendid Exchange </a>  lives up to its title indeed: your time is well spent in acquiring this book’s knowledge.

A Splendid Exchange - Book Review

The 14 year old, who just got started with history classes in school, the 39 year old merchant representative of a global corporation, and anyone whose favorite item is an import.

Who would I recommend the A Splendid Exchange to?

This A Splendid Exchange summary shows you the surprising origins of the history of global trade. What was the first long-distance trade? Did we import the plague? Learn all that and more.

history

History

communication

Communication

business

Business

A Splendid Exchange Summary

Understanding the truth of a situation is important, but so is remaining part of a tribe. While these two desires often work well together, they occasionally come into conflict. In many circumstances; social connection is actually more helpful to our daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea. People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs, so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies, protectors, or disciples, rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.

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“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he…

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