30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human.

As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.

Scroll down and read 30 quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown.

Get The Book: Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown is available now on Amazon.

Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  1. To form meaningful connections with others, we must first connect with ourselves.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  2. Without understanding how our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors work together, it’s almost impossible to find our way back to ourselves and each other.

  3. When we don’t understand how our emotions shape our thoughts and decisions, we become disembodied from our own experiences and disconnected from each other.
  4. So often, when we feel lost, adrift in our lives, our first instinct is to look out into the distance to find the nearest shore. But that shore, that solid ground, is within us. The anchor we are searching for is connection, and it is internal.
  5. I am a mapmaker and a traveler.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  6. Stressed is being in the weeds. Overwhelmed is being blown.
  7. Anxiety and excitement feel the same, but how we interpret and label them can determine how we experience them.
  8. Comparison says, “Be like everyone else, but better.”
  9. Comparison is the crush of conformity from one side and competition from the other—it’s trying to simultaneously fit in and stand out.
  10. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  11. While resentment is definitely an emotion, I normally recognize it by a familiar thought pattern: What mean and critical thing am I rehearsing saying to this person?
  12. Nothing that celebrates the humiliation or pain of another person builds lasting connection.
  13. Disappointment is unmet expectations. The more significant the expectations, the more significant the disappointment.
  14. There are too many people in the world today who decide to live disappointed rather than risk feeling disappointment.
  15. We need hope like we need air.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
  16. Hope is a function of struggle—we develop hope not during the easy or comfortable times, but through adversity and discomfort.
  17. To be human is to know sadness. Owning our sadness is courageous and a necessary step in finding our way back to ourselves and each other.
  18. We have to belong to ourselves as much as we need to belong to others. Any belonging that asks us to betray ourselves is not true belonging.
  19. Be here. Be you. Belong.
  20. True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  21. We need more real love. Gritty, dangerous, wild-eyed, justice-seeking love.
  22. The brokenhearted are the bravest among us—they dared to love.
  23. Do I have enough information to freak out? The answer is normally no. Will freaking out help? The answer is always no.
  24. Don’t look away. Don’t look down. Don’t pretend not to see hurt. Look people in the eye. Even when their pain is overwhelming. And when you’re hurting and in pain, find the people who can look you in the eye.
  25. I’m here to get it right, not to be right.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

  26. We need to know we’re not alone—especially when we’re hurting.
  27. The wild and ever-changing nature of emotions and experiences leaves our hearts stretch-marked and strong, worn and willing.

  28. Even when we have no idea where we are or where we’re going, with the right map, we can find our way back to our heart and to our truest self.
  29. In this life, we will know and bear witness to incredible sorrow and anguish, and we will experience breathless love and joy.
  30. Our connection with others can only be as deep as our connection with ourselves. If I don’t know and understand who I am and what I need, want, and believe, I can’t share myself with you.30 Best Quotes from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

 
Which quote from Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown is your favorite?

READ NEXT: 30 Quotes from No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler