Here are some quotes about the importance of vulnerability and being authentic when sharing your life story:
“Your journal [personal history] should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are ‘made up’ for a public performance. There is a temptation to paint one’s virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of accentuating the negative.” (Spencer W. Kimball)
“When stories are told that give voice to the repressed and ignored, it is powerful. In her book, Country of My Skull, Antjie Krog, a journalist, expressed what I noticed as a teacher: the need to relate narratives of suffering is contagious. She said all the people who hear those narratives must ‘tell stories not to die of life.’ ” (Colin Smith)
“Vulnerability gives us freedom, power and connects us to a network of injured souls. It is through the art of being real that we can heal ourself and others.”
― Shannon L. Alder
“Love comes when. .you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable.” (Joyce Brothers)
“Why are people afraid, embarrassed, or reluctant to share their warm and positive feelings with others? The resistance usually comes from what we imagine might happen: We might embarrass other people. Others might suspect our motives. They might cry, which would put us in an uncomfortable situation. We might appear awkward, or even cry ourselves and that would be even worse. Sometimes we are stopped because we feel that there is not enough time or that too many people are around. The person who fears an authentic encounter with another can find many reasons why he should stay behind his mask and not let anyone know his true feelings. Sharing love and warmth is a great gift. To those who hide such gifts because of the fear of what others may do or say, the Lord said: ‘But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.’ ” (William G. Dyer)
“To be an authentic person is a risk. Most of us have hidden behind a facade or mask in some areas of our behavior for so long that it would be difficult to try to be different.” (William G. Dyer)
“We all need somebody to talk to. It would be good if we talked… not just pitter-patter, but real talk. We shouldn’t be so afraid, because most people really like this contact; that you show you are vulnerable makes them free to be vulnerable.” (Liv Ullmann)
“Share your weaknesses. Share your hard moments. Share your real side. It’ll either scare away every fake person in your life or it will inspire them to finally let go of that mirage called “perfection,” which will open the doors to the most important relationships you’ll ever be a part of.” (Dan Pearce)
“I am a broken person. And I know exactly where my cracks are and how deep they run. I don’t pretend to not be a broken person and therein lies the big difference. Because the truth is, we are all broken in places, but it is those who know exactly where and how they are broken, who also know exactly where and how they are whole! And we may not be whole in all places and in all ways, but we take whatever wholeness that we do have, and we make good of it. And we try hard to work on the broken parts, and we ask for help when we need it.” (C. JoyBell C.)
“I see myself as a Scottish sky: there are rain clouds, rainbows and sunrays that run and overtake one another, mingle together and dance with each other! You see all of this within seconds of looking up! It’s a living sky, it breathes and it’s real! And I think that when you look at me, you’ll see my rain clouds first, because only after rainclouds can there come the rainbows. You see, if the rainbows come first, then the rainbows aren’t even real, so I think that if people deserve to see my real rainbows, then they will just know that they need to stick around through the rain! Like a Scottish sky, I want to be real and breathing and running. I don’t want to be a clear blue all the time, or a dark grey all the time or have fake rainbows painted onto me; I want to be Scottish.” (C. JoyBell C.)
“Forget about being impressive and commit to being real. Because being real is impressive!”
― Jonathan Harnisch
“Reveal your flaws from time to time. According to the pratfall effect, people will like you more after you make a mistake. . . Revealing that you aren’t perfect makes you more relatable and vulnerable toward the people around you. Researcher Elliot Aronson first discovered this phenomenon when he studied how simple mistakes can affect perceived attraction. He asked male students from the University of Minnesota to listen to tape recordings of people taking a quiz. When people did well on the quiz but spilled coffee at the end of the interview, the students rated them higher on likability than when they did well on the quiz and didn’t spill coffee or didn’t do well on the quiz and spilled coffee.” (Shana Lebowitz)
“A tendency to err on the side of oversharing isn’t necessarily the worst thing when it comes to building new relationships and deepening existing ones. . .Revealing personal information about oneself is an important way to develop closeness and intimacy. Getting from the superficial level to the real stuff requires a leap into uncharted territory. A moment of vulnerability, uncomfortable as it may feel at the time, can be the thing that breaks down walls and allows a more authentic relationship to grow.” (Dr. Juliana Breines)
“Blunders tend to humanize people, especially those who seem otherwise superior. As long as you’re generally capable, a mistake here and there can help others feel more comfortable around you—and more likely to acknowledge their own mistakes.” (Dr. Juliana Breines)
“Vulnerability is so much easier when you love yourself. Think about it. When you don’t love all of you and are afraid to show people the less than stellar parts, the space between you and vulnerability is like the Grand Canyon. You will need all the courage you can get to make the leap across. But when you love yourself, and I mean all of you, you don’t worry so much if someone else doesn’t. And when you’re less afraid of rejection, you step right into that place of openness.” (Wendy Miyake)
“In order to be vulnerable, you have to be okay with all of you. That’s the thing about vulnerability that no one tells you about. Being vulnerable is not just about showing the parts of you that are shiny and pretty and fun. It’s about revealing what you deny or keep hidden from other people. We all do this to some extent. . .If we reveal our authentic selves, there is the great possibility that we will be misunderstood, labeled, or worst of all, rejected. …[But] the rewards of vulnerability are immeasurable.” (Wendy Miyake)
“What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.” (Brene Brown)
“The rewards of vulnerability are immeasurable. . .With vulnerability, you experience true connection—true love for yourself—and you begin to attract people to you who are inspired by your openness. While it’s not easy to be vulnerable, you’d be surprised how loving all of you and then sharing it with another can help you to connect with anyone. ” (Wendy Miyake)
“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley
“Being vulnerable involves letting your guard down to let people in. It allows you to connect with the people in your life on a much deeper level. When you can permit yourself to be vulnerable, you are setting an example to others and giving them permission to do the same. You allow yourself to be truly seen and being vulnerable makes you more relatable to others.” (Vanessa Naja)
“Vulnerability is not the same as weakness. It’s about being genuine about who you are – your strengths and struggles. Vulnerability is not just for you, those around you need to see it, it makes you more relatable.” (Shula)
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” – Crissi Jami
“You don’t have to be perfect to be awesome!” (Jan Keck)
“Owning your flaws makes you a lot more lovable. . .When you pretend to be perfect, it can put up a wall and make you seem unapproachable and unrelatable. . .You can’t be guarded and known deeply at the same time.” (Kate Ferguson)
“That space between your teeth, that red birthmark on your cheek, and your wrinkles are uniquely yours to be loved. Imperfections are what makes you more lovable. Your vulnerability is a beautiful thing.” -Pamela Chambers