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An Approach to Vulnerability

Student Name

University of the People

EDUC 5810 Living and Learning Globally

Instructor: Dr. Alison Binger

March, 2021
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An Approach to Vulnerability

The notion of vulnerability regarding human development has been what researchers and

scholars are studying for a very long history. IFRC (n. d.) defines vulnerability as “the

diminished capacity of an individual or group to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from

the impact of a natural or man-made hazard” (para. 1). According to DICTIONAY.COM (n. d.),

vulnerability refers to: “1) openness to attack or hurt, either physical or in other ways; 2)

willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weakness to be seen or known and willingness to

risk being hurt or attacked…”.

This paper will focus on examining vulnerability in the aspect of human connections and

social relationships, exploring the cultural constraints of vulnerability and the benefits of being

vulnerable in building positive connections and relationships.

The Cultural Constraints of Vulnerability

What gets in the way of people being vulnerable? When we are talking about vulnerable

people, we tend to connect it to groups of people that are “weak”, like the old, the weak, the sick,

the pregnant and even the female. But vulnerability is actually the driving force of human

connections, rather than the “weakness” leads to disconnection (Young, 2015). According to

BrenéBrown (2010), people who have a capacity for human empathy or connection always feel

about vulnerability and experience shame of “excruciating vulnerability” that “I’m not good enough.

I'm not blank enough. I'm not thin enough, rich enough, beautiful enough, smart enough,

promoted enough” (4: 40). Underlined this is the sense of love and belonging and thereby the

sense of worthiness as what Ms Brown stated. For those who lack of the sense of worthiness, they

have a poor sense of love and belonging and are always wondering if they are good enough. They are
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the very vulnerable but they do not want to show their weakness and vulnerability and they arm

themselves and try to prove that they are strong and good enough through solving problems alone.

All this discourages them to make connections and build relationships with others and separate them

from those who have a strong sense of love and belonging.

The benefits of Embracing Vulnerability

As explained by BrenéBrown (2010), people with a strong sense of love and belonging

believe that vulnerability is a necessity and is not a shame. Vulnerability can be the key to human

connections and relationships because it empowers people with the courage to become open to others,

which can enable them to get closer with other and build positive relationships and satisfy them with

the sense of love and belonging (Young 2015).

“Vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears

that it's also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love” (BrenéBrown, 2010, 12:18).

The more we are afraid of, the more vulnerable we are, and the more we are afraid of (BrenéBrown,

2010). But when people accept and embrace vulnerability, they believe that “what made them

vulnerable made them beautiful” and they believe they are worthy of connection and they’re more

likely to make connections and establish relationships with others, and they will be open to the love,

affection and influence of others and be willing to ask for help, to invest in a relationship and to do

things where there are no guarantees , and thereby they will be grateful and be connected (Brené

Brown, 2010, 9:28). They are more willing to be open and vulnerable in relationships and are less

likely to blame themselves and their own ‘unworthiness’ for the disconnection, allowing themselves

to be vulnerable to the uncertainty and they make it safe for others to do the same (Young 2015).

Therefore, we should accept and embrace vulnerability and live wholeheartedly, which will
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empower us to encounter possibilities and challenges, daring to take risks and make connections and

build close relationships with others.

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References

BrenéBrown. (2010). The power of vulnerability. TEDxHouston.

https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability/transcript

DICTIONAY.COM. (n. d.). Vulnerability. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/vulnerability

IFRC. (n. d.). What is vulnerability?

https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-disasters/what-is-a-disaster/

what-is-vulnerability/

Young, K. (2015). Vulnerability: The key to close relationships.

https://www.heysigmund.com/vulnerability-the-key-to-close-relationships/