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“Vulnerability” is a universal concept. I enjoyed hearing Dr. Brown speak (see video below) and have a few insights to share. The other concepts she reviewed (shame, guilt, empathy, sympathy etc.) are universal as well, but different cultures have different rules to deal with them. This leads to the notion of, “My rules are are better than yours.” Ergo, my culture is better than yours (you are so primitive!).

Watching the talk thru the lens of an individual, I find she has a lot of good advice to offer.

Watching the talk thru the lens of where people are in the Maslow’s hierarchy, these concepts may simply not be a priority to those who are at lower levels of the hierarchy.

Watching thru the talk of my cultural background (I am an Indian who lives in USA and loves hamburger and fries, but others may have stayed in the culture they were born in), it may touch a raw nerve, because it either hits home and you feel guilt, or because it conflicts with what you’ve been taught is the “right” behavior to such concepts.

At the end of the day, each of us has to figure out how to deal with and implement these concepts for ourselves. The policies and rules proposed by our ancestors (culture!) seem to have gaps. I am guessing they never expected cultures to intermingle. Exception scenarios seem to crop up leading to inner conflict on how to deal with them.