Quotes About Vulnerability

The paradox of talking to strangers: we need to talk to them. But we're terrible at it (p. 166).

When we make a split-second decision," Payne says, "we are really vulnerable to being guided by our stereotypes and prejudices, even ones we may not necessarily endorse or believe.

We are all of us not merely liable to fear, we are also prone to be afraid of being afraid, and the conquering of fear produces exhilaration.…When we have been afraid that we may panic in an air-raid, and, when it has happened, we have exhibited to others nothing but a calm exterior and we are now safe, the contrast between the previous apprehension and the present relief and feeling of security promotes a self-confidence that is the very father and mother of courage.

The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness. And

It is embarrassing how feeble I feel, how timidly I move through life, always guarded, ready to defend myself, ready to be angry.

Poets die young. That is not just a cliché. The life expectancy of poets, as a group, trails playwrights, novelists, and nonfiction writers by a considerable margin. They have higher rates of "emotional disorders" than actors, musicians, composers, and novelists.

the trade-off between truth-default and the risk of deception is a great deal for us. What we get in exchange for being vulnerable to an occasional lie is efficient communication and social coordination. The benefits are huge and the costs are trivial in comparison. Sure, we get deceived once in a while. That is just the cost of doing business.

In reality, the very thing that gave the giant his size was also the source of his greatest weakness. There is an important lesson in that for battles with all kinds of giants. The powerful and the strong are not always what they seem.

In reality, the very thing that gave the giant his size was also the source of his greatest weakness.

self-consciousness is the enemy of "interestingness.

Something about writing poetry appears either to attract the wounded or to open new wounds...

The powerful are not as powerful as they seem—nor the weak as weak.

Si te salvas por los pelos, quedas traumatizado. Si te salvas holgadamente, piensas que eres invencible.

What we get in exchange for being vulnerable to an occasional lie is efficient communication and social coordination.

Nuestro inconsciente es una fuerza poderosa, pero falible. Nuestro ordenador interno no siempre se abre paso en las tinieblas ni descubre al instante la «verdad» de una situación. Puede ser derrotado, distraído y neutralizado.

We have no choice but to talk to strangers in our modern, borderless world. We aren't living in villages anymore. Police officers have to stop people they don't know. Intelligence officers have to deal with deception and uncertainty. Young people want to go to parties explicitly to meet strangers... Yet at this most necessary of tasks we are inept. We think we can transform the stranger, without cost or sacrifice, into the familiar and the known, and we can't (p. 342).

All earthly cities are vulnerable. Men build them and men destroy them. At the same time there is a City of God which men did not build and cannot destroy and which is everlasting.

The thought of being completely dependent disturbs people till the moment their eyes are opened to reality.

Be open about your thoughts, ideas, and desires and you will be right with your decisions.

Let them see you cry. Let them see you sweat. Let them see you bleed. Those three drops make you human. Never fear to show your humanity. It's the bravest act of all.

Confident sheep overcome insecure wolves.

Instead of trying to hide yourself from the world, make it your signature trait. Make what most people think to be the worst of you become something your proud of.

Courage uncovers strength, grace reveals beauty, vulnerability expresses humility, inner peace reflects contentment

By fully experiencing and going beyond an emotional block - through the layers of doubt and fear - you experience the emotion of who you truly are.