Lessons from the Movie "Inside Out"
Certain children’s movies have stood out and made their mark because of the values they instill or because of certain outstanding aspects to their stories. If we look back, one of Pixar’s most outstanding films is, without a doubt, Inside Out. This film is full of reflection and thoughts, as its main characters are feelings and emotions.
If you haven’t been able to enjoy it yet, we assure you that, after reading this list of lessons it teaches, you won’t want to miss it. And if you’ve already seen it, then you already know that it’s one of the movies you’ll enjoy time and time again. And you know you’ll learn something new each time you do.
So, here’s a list of lessons related to the movie that you may not have thought of. Let’s get started!
What lessons can we take away from the movie Inside Out?
1. Negative emotions are also necessary
Nowadays, we live in a world where it seems that we only have to think positively. We don’t even questions this, as we all know that negative emotions produce bad feelings and thoughts.
However, one of the clearest lessons that the movie Inside Out shows us is that negative emotions, or not-so-positive ones, are also important and necessary in life. Throughout the film, we can see how it’s necessary to accept these emotions in order to give meaning to life.
The film depicts these emotions on most of the occasions through Sadness, one of the characters in the film. By accepting this type of emotion, we’ll have a fuller development and a much more valuable learning experience.
2. The importance of knowing oneself
One of the objectives of this movie when children watch it, besides enjoying it, is to reflect. In it, we see how Riley has defined her own personality island.
On this island, we observe the preferences, interests, and characteristics that define the protagonist. Therefore, once the film is over, we should try and talk about these islands with our little ones and make our own.
It’s a fantastic way to get to know ourselves a little better and get the children to work on the subject of emotions.
3. We all have a feeling that manages our emotions
Although much more covert than some of the other lessons, the movie Inside Out shows us that one of our feelings always dominates us.
In the case of the movie’s main character, Joy is the main controller of HQ. In other words, the space where all emotions come together, simulating people’s minds.
This shows us that we should reflect on the main feeling that controls our thoughts. Be realistic and realize that, maybe, a certain feeling should change or, on the contrary, be enhanced even more.
More lessons from the movie Inside Out
4. Change the focus of your thoughts
One of the most outstanding phrases in the movie and one that should make us reflect the most is one from Joy, the story’s main character:
“You can’t focus on what’s going wrong. There’s always a way to turn things around, to find the fun.”
– Inside Out –
While it’s true that this is closely related to what we talked about in the first of the lessons, it’s very important to know how to react to things and learn to turn the situation around. This isn’t the same as learning to always seek out the positive side of things.
In addition to being applied to adults, this phrase can also be applied to children to help them cope with the adversities that may arise and, thus, advance in their development.
We must accept that negative emotions are part of our lives, but also that we’re the only ones that can turn them around.