The movie “Inside Out” is about a hockey-loving 11-year-old girl from Minnesota named Riley whose five emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger – come to life in her mind. These emotions influence her actions and memories, and when she and her family moves to San Francisco they help her to adapt and navigate life in a new city, house and school. This film shows us the complexity and depth of our emotions and how they play an important role in our lives. It is a wonderful and unique perspective of expression of emotions and human behaviour. 

Emotions … “appear always where they serve a purpose corresponding to the life method of guiding line of the individual” … “In every individual, we see that feelings have grown and developed in the direction and to the degree which were essential to the attainment of his goal” … feelings appear and disappear at need”(Ansbacher & Ansbacher, 1956, p. 226-227).

If you haven’t seen this movie as yet, it’s worth watching and will be fun for the entire family. Here is the trailer for the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY

What would Adler say about this movie?  What are your thoughts on the psychology of the Inside Out movie?

Reference
Ansbacher, H.L. & Ansbacher, R.R. (Eds.) (1956). The individual psychology of Alfred Adler: A systematic presentation in selections from his writings.  New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc.