Why Vulnerability is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Vulnerable
After his brother renounced the throne, Bertie unexpectedly became king. He faced the difficult task of ruling a country on the verge of World War II. Due to his crippling stammer, which caused him much personal discomfort and embarrassment, Bertie maintained a low profile. But his sudden role as king required him to speak publicly. Because of this, he had to overcome his speech issues. It wasn’t just a personal matter anymore but also a matter of national interest.
With the help of his spouse and a speech therapist named Lionel Logue, he was able to improve his speaking ability significantly. He overcame his stammer when he addressed the country and gave a powerful speech during the war as King George VI. To improve his condition, Bertie had to be vulnerable. He had to accept his condition and put himself in positions where he could be hurt. This bold move eventually led to personal growth, doing things he probably never thought possible.
In a world that celebrates strength, the concept of vulnerability carries a stigma; people consider being vulnerable as a weakness. Therefore, we are often reluctant to be vulnerable because we fear other people’s opinions. But what if vulnerability is not a weakness but an act of courage that could lead us to reach goals, overcome fears, and make genuine connections? This video explores the transformative power of vulnerability and its priceless benefits.
The ancient Chinese war military general Sun Tzu wrote a manual named The Art of War, containing strategies for warfare. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak” is a piece of advice Sun Tzu provides. From a strategic, military viewpoint, this advice may be sound, but it’s also a form of deception. The latter part, to appear “strong when you are weak,” is common among people; we generally don’t want to show weakness, appear stronger and better than we are, and we’re afraid to fail, as it makes us look inadequate. But by doing so, we’re thus engaging in deception; we hide who we truly are.
The idea of being vulnerable makes many people uncomfortable. Many are reluctant to show vulnerability because, by doing so, they may appear weak. And in a way, that’s true. By being vulnerable, we tear apart the walls we built around ourselves – our personas that we worked hard to uphold – and show ourselves in ways we can be hurt. Our weaknesses become visible. Our environment formerly saw our personas, for example, the persona of the resilient and fearless provider and protector of his family or the strong, independent businesswoman who doesn’t need anyone for support, especially a man. And likely, people liked and respected us for these traits.
But the moment we drop those personas and show our true, complete selves, including our vulnerabilities, people see us in a different light; we’re not as strong as we portrayed ourselves to be. We’re, likely, not fearless. In many ways, we’re actually weak. Think about it. No matter how strong you think yourself to be regarding physique, charisma, or resources, you’re utterly at the mercy of circumstances you have no control over. You can be a well-trained fighter able to kick almost everyone’s ass, but illness and injury always loom around the corner. How strong are you when you attribute your strength to something that can be taken away in a heartbeat?
Most, if not all, people have fears and weaknesses. But we don’t allow ourselves to show them. We don’t want people to think less of us and lose respect and faith in us because they see our vulnerabilities. They may be put off by the idea that below the armor, there’s someone, a human being, who is afraid, insecure, frail. They may not feel safe with us anymore because we aren’t the fearless action heroes capable of protecting our loved ones at all costs.
Or they may lose respect for us because we aren’t as internally strong as we portrayed ourselves to be but actually susceptible to addiction or depression and unable to solve these problems without support. Unfortunately, there is tru...