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- DictionaryVul·ner·a·bil·i·ty/ˌvəln(ə)rəˈbilədē/
noun
- 1. the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally: "conservation authorities have realized the vulnerability of the local population"
People also ask
What is vulnerability?
What does 'vulnerable' mean?
What is emotional vulnerability?
Where does the noun vulnerability come from?
There are a lot of ways to define vulnerability. The term, ‘vulnerable’ means to be susceptible to emotional or physical harm. Another way to describe vulnerability could be “at-risk”.
Vulnerability definition, openness or susceptibility to attack or harm: We need to develop bold policies that will reduce the vulnerability of farmers to drought and floods. See more.
vulnerability (of somebody/something) (to something) the fact of being weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally. the vulnerability of newborn babies to disease. financial vulnerability. He was intensely aware of his own vulnerability.
- Overview
- Why Vulnerability Is Important
- Examples of Vulnerability
- How People Become Closed Off
- Consequences of Not Being Vulnerable With Others
- How to Be Vulnerable
- To Be Vulnerable, Learn to Love Yourself
- How to Get Help
Vulnerability is a state of emotional exposure that comes with a degree of uncertainty. Learning how to be vulnerable involves a willingness to accept the emotional risk that comes from being open and willing to love and be loved.
A fear of vulnerability is a very common fear. But once you understand this central emotional challenge, you can develop a greater appreciation for why vulnerability is worth the effort. This makes it easier to take the next step: becoming more vulnerable with the people you care about most.
At a Glance
Vulnerability allows us to foster deeper relationships and greater acceptance, but it isn't always easy. Examples of vulnerability include sharing your emotions, talking about your mistakes, and being honest about your needs. Recognizing why you might struggle with this can help you learn how to be vulnerable with trusted people in your life.
Professor and author Brené Brown suggests that vulnerability is an important measure of courage and that it allows you to be seen and understood by the people who are important in your life. Brown adds that being vulnerable serves as a way to foster authenticity, belongingness, and love.
When you can accept vulnerability, you may find that you experience important emotional benefits such as:
•Greater strength: Putting yourself in situations where you feel vulnerable can boost your confidence and belief in your ability to handle challenging situations. This can make you more resilient in the face of life's difficulties.
•Stronger relationships: Being vulnerable with others can foster intimacy in your relationships. It helps deepen your compassion, empathy, and connection with others in your life.
•Improved self-acceptance: Vulnerability allows you to accept and embrace different aspects of yourself. This can help you build greater confidence and authenticity.
So why do people often fear vulnerability if it's a good thing? Vulnerability is associated with a number of challenging emotional states. For example, it can play a role in disappointment, shame, and grief. The fear of vulnerability is also related to a fear of rejection and a fear of abandonment.
What does vulnerability look like? Here are some examples to consider:
•Taking chances that might lead to rejection
•Talking about mistakes you have made
•Sharing personal details that you normally keep private
•Feeling difficult emotions such as shame, grief, or fear
•Reconnecting with someone you have fallen out with
Self-Protection
Over time, then, they may also practice different defense mechanisms to protect themselves. This might mean that they've built walls around their heart, closing themselves off as they convince themselves they never really loved the person who hurt them anyway, maybe even mastering the art of denial.
Internalized Negative Thoughts
Even worse, they may have begun to believe and internalize negative thoughts and feelings about themself. As they search for answers to life's hurts, they could have begun to believe that they are responsible for these hurts. Although these steps are normal and natural, they are also self-defeating. It is important to learn from past mistakes and to strive for personal growth. It is equally important to learn to forgive your own lapses. How often are you quick to forgive someone else's mistakes or bad behaviors while continuing to beat yourself up for a mistake that you made or something that you've done? Are You Self-Sabotaging Relationships?
Although building walls creates a safe space into which you can quickly retreat, it also blocks the flow of energy and love. It's easy to become trapped behind your own emotional defenses, unable to give or receive positive emotions as well as negative ones. This leaves many people feeling isolated and alone.
People with a fear of vulnerability often become "distancers," using well-honed methods to keep others at arm's length. Some become intentionally buried in work, school, or other activities. Or they disappear at the first sign that a relationship is becoming intimate.
Inability or unwillingness to be vulnerable in important relationships creates a limit on how much those relationships can evolve and deepen. Vulnerability requires a sense of emotional safety and trust in the other person; not being vulnerable hampers the development of intimacy in relationships.
— DR. DANIEL B. BLOCK, MD, PSYCHIATRIST
Others perform an elaborate dance of push-and-pull. They draw in a potential partner, only to pull away emotionally when the other person gets too close. Then, once distance has been reestablished, they draw that person back in.
The fear of vulnerability can also lead people to inadvertently cause pain to others.
Embrace Your Authentic Self
One way to reduce self-isolation and the fear of vulnerability is to embrace your authentic self. You've been hurt before, so you may want to minimize the risk of being hurt again. But building walls or trying to act according to some self-created checklist is not the best way to minimize potential damage. To combat the fear of vulnerability, you must first learn to love and accept your whole, authentic self. Loving yourself is one of the toughest lessons you will ever face. Everyone has flaws, imperfections, embarrassing stories, and past mistakes they wish they could forget. People are insecure, awkward, and desperately wishing they could change certain things. That's human nature. The trick is to realize that everyone feels this way. No matter how successful, how beautiful, or how perfect someone appears, we all experience the same awkwardness, insecurity, and self-doubt.
Aim for Excellence, Not Perfection
Think of the most dynamic, capable person you know. What if this person said something foolish? Would you hold a grudge? What if that person snapped at you? Would you find that unforgivable? Of course not. You understand that others are imperfect, that they have good days and bad days, that they have flaws and blind spots and moments of weakness. That's not what you remember them for. You remember their triumphs and shining moments and love and light. Why treat yourself any differently? Why beat yourself up for the things that you easily and quickly forgive in others? Why automatically assume that others will judge you more harshly than you judge them? One way to improve your ability to accept yourself fully is to aim for excellence without expecting yourself to be perfect. Treat yourself the same way that you would treat a friend or loved one. Show yourself the empathy and compassion that you would show others in your life. The Toxic Effects of Negative Self-Talk
To learn to love yourself, begin by acknowledging yourself as a whole human being—flaws, imperfections, and all. Own and embrace your past mistakes, while also remembering that they don't define your present or your future.
Apologize to anyone you feel you have significantly wronged, then move on. Forgive yourself. While this is often easier said than done, moving forward, try to live by a few simple truths.
You can be more vulnerable with your partner by getting to know yourself, sharing important things in the moment, talking about your fears, and being honest about the things that you need. As you learn to accept and love yourself, you will find it easier and easier to show true vulnerability.
If your sense of self-worth is strong, you will no longer need others to define it or prop it up for you. You will be able to walk away from those who treat you with disrespect and attract those who treat you well.
However, getting from here to there isn't always easy. Professional assistance may be helpful, particularly if your fear of vulnerability is deep-seated and long-lasting.
Many people seek the advice of a respected mental health professional, while others find solace in spiritual counseling. Whatever path you choose, finding freedom from the fear of vulnerability is a truly life-changing experience.
How Self-Disclosure Impacts Relationships
6 Sources
adjective. capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt: a vulnerable part of the body; vulnerable to predators; a company vulnerable to a hostile takeover. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: That is an argument vulnerable to refutation. He is vulnerable to bribery. (of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend:
May 27, 2015 · Vulnerability, in other words, is regarded as an aberration, a contemptible anomaly to be expunged from our experiential world. Existential philosophy, by contrast, teaches us that the various...
What does the noun vulnerability mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun vulnerability . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
