Brené Brown’s paradox obsession is on full display in Chapter 4 of Solid Ground. Freedom AND commitment, leadership AND plumbing, optimism AND reality—Brown proves life’s contradictions are mandatory.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you take deep philosophy, sprinkle it with corporate jargon.
It’s a paradox party, and everyone’s invited — whether you signed up or not.
“Paradoxes embrace ambiguity, expose our intolerance for uncertainty, push our boundaries, and, if we hang on long enough, often force us to deny the comfort of our ideologies for a deeper wisdom...”
In other words, life’s complicated.
But don’t worry, Brené’s got you covered with buzzwords to make it sound profound.
It is more than finding your strong ground, and doing the Tush Push moves.
Brené Brown’s Paradox Obsession
Brené’s obsession with paradox is the literary equivalent of that friend who “just wants to clarify things”
But actually just drags you into a three-hour existential debate about whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
“In its original Greek, paradox is made up of two words, para (contrary to) and dokein (opinion). The Latin paradoxum means ‘seemingly absurd but really true.’”
Thank you, Ancient Greeks and Latin scholars, for basically inventing the phrase
“Wait, what?” Brené has made it her mission to drag this ancient, dusty word through every boardroom and therapy circle, turning it into a corporate religion.
The Freedom And Commitment Saga
Brené’s personal favorite paradox is this one:
“I’ve spent five years trying to run from the paradox of freedom and commitment... For me, despair is that soul-crushing feeling of having no agency, no power to change anything.”
In other words: “I hate planning my day, but I hate chaos even more.”
The epiphany? Scheduling your next haircut is a revolutionary act of freedom.
Take a moment to applaud that breakthrough.
Hairdressers everywhere are shaking.
“One scheduled appointment led to the next, and within a few weeks I was calendaring meetings and blocking time for creating in equal measure.”
So profound, it’s almost spiritual.
If scheduling haircuts could save the world, Brené would have just solved the climate crisis.
The Grace Paradox
Enter American Franciscan friar Father Richard Rohr, who delivers what I’m calling the ultimate excuse for procrastinators and screw-ups:
“We grow spiritually much more by doing things wrong than by doing everything right.”
Finally! An official blessing to fail your way to enlightenment.
Next time you miss a deadline, just tell your boss, “It’s my spiritual development.”
Brené confesses:
“That damn manuscript sat on my desk for months. I did not want to read it, but I was plagued by guilt.”
Can you feel the midlife crisis vibes?
The Jedi bullshit paradox even makes a cameo:
“You fear going in, so in you must go. I call that the Jedi bullshit paradox.”
In short, you fear diving into your problems, so you have to dive in anyway.
May the Force be with your emotional baggage, but please keep it out of my inbox.
If you think it's all touchy-feely, wait till you read what good-to-great Jim Collins has to say.
The Genius Of The AND Of Jim Collins
Then author Jim Collins of "Built To Last: Successful Habits Of Visionary Companies" book, drops this gem:
“Instead of being oppressed by the ‘Tyranny of the OR,’ highly visionary companies liberate themselves with the ‘Genius of the AND’—the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time.”
Why choose purpose OR profit when you can have your cake AND eat it too?
It’s corporate doublespeak at its finest—glorified wishful thinking wrapped in MBA jargon.
It's a corporate kumbaya idea that says you can have it all.
Examples?
- Purpose AND profit
- Freedom AND responsibility
- Discipline AND creativity
It’s like the Swiss Army knife of paradoxes, except instead of solving problems.
By the way, Brown learned about “paradox as liberation” from Jim Collins.
Stockdale Paradox
The Stockdale Paradox is a grim reminder that being a naive optimist is bad news:
“The optimists died of a broken heart.”
Because apparently, hope without a brutal reality check is a slow death by disappointment.
Brené’s organization adopted this as “gritty faith and gritty facts,” which sounds like a tough CrossFit workout for the soul.
Leadership Is Plumbing And Poetry
And finally, the pièce de résistance:
“Leadership is plumbing and poetry.”
No, seriously. This isn’t a metaphor from a hipster barista.
It’s a real leadership framework from James March and Thierry Weil.
“The plumbing of leadership involves...competence...keeping watch over an organization’s efficiency...”
“Leadership also requires...the gifts of a poet...to find meaning in action and render life attractive.”
So your CEO needs to unclog the pipes and drop a sick rhyme about organizational culture.
William Shakespeare meets Mr. Rooter.
Bottom Line: Brené’s Paradox Playground is equal parts profundity and pretension.
If you want to sound deeply thoughtful at your next board meeting:
Memorize a few quotes from this chapter, sprinkle in “paradox” liberally, and call it a day.
But if you’re looking for actionable insights, this chapter might leave you scheduling your haircuts, but still wondering why you’re so confused about life.
Great for sounding deep at cocktail parties, maybe less so for figuring out what to actually do next.
So the next time you feel trapped between two opposing truths, just remember:
It’s not you. It’s paradox.
And Brené Brown has been obsessed with it way before you.
Wondering how her paradox obsession fits into Brené Brown’s bigger message about courage and vulnerability?
👉 See the full picture in the Strong Ground review of her leadership mantras.
Don't forget to dig into her other chapters:
- Brené Brown’s Negative Capability Obsession
- Thinking Like A Scientist In Self-Help
- The Thrill Of Victory And Agony Of Defeat
