Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-180) and index.

Everywhere and nowhere -- The quest for true belonging -- High lonesome: a spiritual crisis -- People are hard to hate close up. Move in. -- Speak truth to bullshit. Be civil. -- Hold hands. With strangers. -- Strong back. Soft front. Wild heart.

True belonging doesn't require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are. Social scientist Brené Brown studies the experiences that bring meaning to our lives - experiences of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy. In this book, she redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With a mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown maps a clear path to true belonging. She argues that we're experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging. She writes, "True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that's rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it's easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. True belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it's a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It's a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts." Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other. And that path cuts right through the wilderness. Brown writes, "The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it's the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand." Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston.