Since my project incorporates the topic of emotions, I happened to come across an article written by Marsh & Zakrzewski (2015) about the movie Inside Out (2015) which serves as a source of inspiration written previously in one of my blog posts. Below, I summarized the article into 3 different points.
- Don’t try to force happiness.
One scene in the movie, Riley’s mother tells her to be a “happy girl” during the stressful adjustment period when the family moves across the country and her father is going through a difficult time in his work. Therefore, it goes without saying that forcing herself to be “happy” is actually doing her more harm than good; making her feel isolated and angry with her parents, as well as deciding to run away from home. “But critically, prioritizing positivity does not require avoiding or denying negative feelings or the situations that cause them—the kind of single-minded pursuit of happiness that can be counter-productive.” (Marsh & Zakrzewski, 2015).
- Sadness is vital to our well-being.
In the beginning of the film, Joy admits that she doesn’t understand Sadness’s purpose for being in Riley’s head. Well, because Sadness connects deeply with individuals. Honestly, I feel like I can relate more to Sadness than I do to Joy. It (sadness) is “a critical component of happiness” (Marsh & Zakrzewski, 2015). For instance, as previously shown in the video above, Joy realizes that the sadness Riley felt after losing her hockey game actually elicited compassion from both her parents and friends, making her feel closer to them and “transforming this potentially awful memory into one imbued with deep meaning and significance for her.” (Marsh & Zakrzewski, 2015).
- Mindfully embrace—rather than suppress—tough emotions.
At one point in the movie, Joy would draw a small “circle of Sadness” and tell Sadness to stay within it, preventing Sadness from having any influence on Riley’s psyche. “It’s a funny moment, but psychologists will recognize that Joy is engaging in a risky behavior called “emotional suppression”—an emotion-regulation strategy that has been found to lead to anxiety and depression… Toward the end of the movie, Joy does what some researchers now consider to be the healthiest method for working with emotions: Instead of avoiding or denying Sadness, Joy accepts Sadness for who she is, realizing that she is an important part of Riley’s emotional life.” (Marsh & Zakrzewski, 2015).
Reference List:
Marsh, J. & Zakrzewski, V. 2015, ‘Four Lessons from “Inside Out” to Discuss With Kids’, Greater Good Magazine, viewed 16 September 2021, <https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_lessons_from_inside_out_to_discuss_with_kids>
