Self-help · Book club
Rising Strong book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for Rising Strong by Brené Brown, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
Rising Strong is the third book in Brené Brown's vulnerability-and-courage sequence, following The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly.
Brené Brown · 2015 · 5h 0m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
Think of a recent fall — a failure, a rejection, a rupture in a relationship. What story did you immediately tell yourself about it? How accurate was that story?
- 2.
Brown's phrase 'the story I'm making up' is meant to be used in live conversation. How would it change a difficult conversation you've had recently if you'd said that?
- 3.
She distinguishes between numbing and self-soothing. What behaviors do you use to numb versus what actually helps you process difficult emotions?
- 4.
Brown argues that skipping the rumble leads to wearing armor. What form does your armor tend to take — perfectionism, cynicism, humor, overwork?
- 5.
Where in your life do you most resist uncertainty? What does the 'story you're making up' usually look like in that area?
- 6.
She writes that rising strong requires 'the willingness to be wrong.' Is that something you find genuinely difficult? What makes it hard?
- 7.
Brown talks about generosity of spirit toward others — assuming good intent. Where is that hardest for you, and why?
- 8.
The book argues that the people who are most resilient are not those who fall less, but those who have learned to get back up differently. Does that match your experience of the resilient people in your life?
- 9.
She identifies specific confabulations — common distorting narratives. Which of the patterns she describes feels most familiar in your own thinking?
- 10.
Brown's research is qualitative — based on thousands of interviews. Does that methodology feel credible to you? How do you evaluate claims made from qualitative research?
- 11.
The revolution stage is described as personal transformation through repeated practice, not a single event. What would accumulated integrity look like in your own life over the next year?
- 12.
She is both researcher and storyteller. Does the personal memoir quality strengthen or weaken the book for you?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for Rising Strong?
Here are 12 book club questions for Rising Strong by Brené Brown, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on resilience, vulnerability, emotional courage.
How long should a book club discussion of Rising Strong last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in Rising Strong?
Resilience, Vulnerability, Emotional courage, Failure and recovery, Self-awareness. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like Rising Strong or questions for other book club picks.
