Page 26 - HERE AND NOW Dec 2022

‘Inside Out’ makes you go ‘Outside In’

By ILA SHARMA

Recently as I prepared for a lab with ISABS, I approached a
Professional Member for suggestions about key topics to
reflect upon. They asked me to watch a Pixar animation
movie, Inside Out, to further explore the entire gamut of
feelings . Through this movie review, I intend to highlight
several key topics of Applied Behavioural Science which may
be further explored after watching it. But hey, without any
major spoiler alerts!

Much of the film depicts the thought chain and the dominant feelings that pass through in the head of
an 11-year-old girl named Riley, with five emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust—embodied
by cartoon characters who help Riley navigate her world. Joy is the leader and helms the controls inside
Riley’s mind; her overarching goal is to make sure that Riley is always happy. Joy, in her attempt to protect
Riley, commands Sadness to not touch any memories as they would become sad memories. During the
introductory scenes, the character Joy outright explains the purpose of each emotion barring Sadness. Joy
explained that Fear keeps us safe, Disgust encourages caution, and so on. Joy admits that she doesn’t
understand what Sadness is for or why it is in Riley’s head.

I think that Joy was not alone in this dilemma as, at one time or another, many of us have probably
wondered what real purpose sadness serves in our lives.

Riley moves with her parents from Minnesota to San Francisco, a new town, leaving her lovely house, best
friend, ice hockey rinks and her school. All her feelings are in action when she gets to her new city, new
house and new school. As nothing is similar in experience, Riley struggles with her feelings and their
multiple attempts to keep her happy, Joy and Sadness accidentally get dragged out of Riley's head and
into her memory bank. For most of the film, she bottles up her emotions in order not to exacerbate her
parents' feelings, but the suppression leads to her break down. As Riley cannot not feel happiness without
Joy, both Joy and Sadness try multiple ways to get back into her head.

At one point, Joy attempts to prevent Sadness from having any influence over Riley’s psyche by drawing
a small “Circle of Sadness” in chalk and orders Sadness to stay within it.I see it as a funny moment, but as
an ISABS practitioner, I recognize that Joy is engaging in the risky behavior of emotional suppression—an
emotion-regulation strategy that has been found to lead to anxiety and depression. Sure enough, trying
to contain Sadness and deny her a role in the action ultimately backfires for Joy, and for Riley.

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