We judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we’re doing. If I feel good about my parenting, I have no interest in judging other people’s choices. If I feel good about my body, I don’t go around making fun of other people’s weight or appearance. We’re hard on each other because we’re using each other as a launching pad out of our own perceived deficiency.

If you want to make a difference, the next time you see someone being cruel to another human being, take it personally. Take it personally because it is personal!

If we share our shame story with the wrong person, they can easily become one more piece of flying debris in an already dangerous storm.(page 10)

Hope is a function of struggle.

We are a culture of people who've bought into the idea that if we stay busy enough, the truth of our lives won't catch up with us.

Men walk this tightrope where any sign of weakness illicits shame, and so they're afraid to make themselves vulnerable for fear of looking weak.

There is no creativity without vulnerability.