Compassion is not a virtue—it’s a commitment.
Brené Brown
Compassion Is A Commitment
Theme: Compassion
Compassion is not a virtue—it’s a commitment. It’s not something we have or don’t have—it’s something we choose to practice.
Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. Additionally, she serves as a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brown's academic roles are extensions of her deeper mission to explore the themes of courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Her research is not just data and theories; it's an invitation to engage with the very elements that make us human.
Brown has spent two decades contributing to our understanding of emotional and social dynamics through her research and writing. She is the author of five books that have risen to the top of the New York Times bestseller list: "The Gifts of Imperfection," "Daring Greatly," "Rising Strong," "Braving the Wilderness," and "Dare to Lead." These works offer pragmatic insights into the nature of human connection. They encourage the reader to embrace their own vulnerabilities, pointing out that it's often in these spaces of uncertainty and risk that we discover our capacity for love and belonging.
Beyond the page, Brown expands her reach through various platforms. Her TED talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," has been viewed more than 50 million times worldwide. She also hosts two podcasts, "Unlocking Us" and "Dare to Lead," providing a space for ongoing discussions about the complexities of the human experience. In 2019, she broke new ground with her Netflix special, "The Call to Courage," becoming the first researcher to present a filmed lecture on the streaming service. Through all these avenues, Brown underscores the need for a heart-centered approach to life, one that makes room for both the challenges and the beauty of our shared human journey.
Brené Brown, "I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't)," p. 178.
Brené Brown
Theme: Compassion
About This Brené Brown Quote [Commentary]
Brené Brown’s words remind us that compassion is an active choice, a commitment we make every day. It is not a trait that some possess and others lack; it’s more like a muscle that we can strengthen through intentional action. This concept aligns with the scientific foundation of her work, which is steeped in qualitative research and data collection. By listening to the stories of thousands of individuals, Brown shows us that compassion can be learned, practiced, and deepened, echoing the idea that we are all connected in our vulnerability and our capacity for love.
Brown’s methodology, using grounded theory research, allows her to identify patterns and themes across a broad spectrum of human experience. Her research is not abstract or distant; it is the collective voice of real people making daily decisions about how to live, love, and relate. In that raw data, we see the threads of universal love and interconnectedness. This approach bolsters her assertion that compassion is a commitment: it reveals that when we make that choice consistently, it has a measurable impact not just on ourselves, but also on our communities.
At its core, compassion is an embrace of our shared human condition—our weaknesses, struggles, and imperfections. When we commit to compassion, we commit to seeing others not as separate, but as a reflection of ourselves. It is the acknowledgment that we are all part of a larger, intricate web of existence. The actionable mysticism here is simple yet profound: choose compassion, choose to practice it, and in doing so, choose to acknowledge our deep and unbreakable connection to one another.
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