Inside Out: Emotional Theory Comes Alive

[@ze_rubenator]

While we're at it, this movie points out something very important. When joy and sadness leave the hedquarters, Riley goes blank, becoming emotionless in a way. She becomes depressed. Depression is not being sad, depression is the absence of emotion.

[@lidkoping07]

may I say that sadness is also part of depression. Grief - being sad of a loss; your past that did you harm, your present that pains you, and/or the future that will never be yours. Sadness from losing out on life and yourself.

[@sulphuric_glue4468]

Depression isn't so much overwhelming sadness, it's more of an absence of joy.

[@jcwynn4075]

Depression is definitely not the absence of emotion. Depression is extreme sadness. Riley was blank, emotionless, empty -- yes. But she was _not_ depressed.

[@jcwynn4075]

Pretty sure I know what depression feels like and it's definitely not emptiness or absence of emotion. This comment is just flat out wrong.

[@antoniowisesa8497]

depression is more of inablity to express emotion, and the simpler, funner depiction is by having the emotions out of the hq, maybe if it's more realisticly drawn, the emotions are just strangling each other, unable to reach the panel to express themselves. felt them hitting but none came out.

[@chamab.6800]

I legit cried when Bing Bong jumped off the rocket so Joy could make it.

[@savannahlevy97]

Chama B. but why didn't Joy throw the rocket back into the pit so he could escape?

[@nicholasduck780]

The rocket was destroyed when Joy landed on the top of the cliff

[@aubreywhite3335]

who's your friend that likes to play?

[@zenithquasar9623]

So much!

[@amandacalzada5430]

Aubrey White pwqerbbbjhhessweeeeeenenwkwneejf Esq 👎👎😾👎😿👊👎👊👊😿👊👊👊👊👎🙇🏿

[@aslye]

I took my 7 year old nephew and 5 year old niece to see this. I cried more than them. Combined.

[@guttularaja]

+Andy | MyTechMethods you're a grownup who could make more sense out of the movie and FEEL more because you've been through more experiences. In a sense its more a movie for grownups than kids......

[@KYUBIMATIAS]

+Andy | MyTechMethods Same here. I took my 14 year old sister to see it at the theater. We were lucky enough to have the entire room to ourselves. I'm a 20 year old guy and dude, I cried like 3 separate times during the film.

[@alex_squeezebox]

+Andy | MyTechMethods oh that's so true.. I watched it with a theatre full with little kids and I was so annoyed with them because they didn't react to all the subtle poignant moments of the film at all. They would just laugh at like slapstick stuff. Perhaps Pixar gives kids too much credit...

[@alexcharette6529]

+Alex Shor It was likely made to be fun for kids, but also to give something to the parents taking them to see it.

[@omgbuffy2276]

+Alex Shor The giving Tree. How many people thought about it as anything but a story of sacrifice. So much subtly in there.

[@oliviahesson881]

This is so interesting! I personally loved Inside Out, I feel the most important lesson that children should take from it is that sadness is needed. Children should know this because our society is so obsessed with happiness and people are being told that they must ALWAYS be happy, or something must be mentally wrong with them. But we ignore that a good cry is actually very healthy and our brain benefits from it.

[@AintIastinker]

Olivia Hesson couldn't agree more .. I think the analysis missed out that even though Riley's emotions appear to control her .. in the end she's the one who wants these emotions to fit in some places based on her experiences.. I think Riley is the one who didn't accept the emotion of sadness in the first place, because like you said.. children sometimes think of sadness as a bad unnecessary emotion, and Riley was trying to shake off that emotion to the point where she almost killed her other one that helped shaping her happy personality. It was very important to show that sadness is an essential emotion that helps us grow as humans as we show empathy towards others and understand what they go through, even when we haven't necessarily experienced their same ones at times.

[@Slechy_Lesh]

Come to Britain. We all embrace misery here.

[@celeritas2-810]

Her parents were actively obliging and pressuring her to fake happiness. So there's complexity here around her behaviours. It was only at the end that her parents acknowledged her being challenged by the big life change of moving across the country was an acceptable response.

[@tommihorttana860]

@@celeritas2-810 Then again, if you pay attention to the scenes in the parents' heads, you notice that Sadness is completely integrated into their crews. They've already learned this lesson, even if they may not always remember it.

[@celeritas2-810]

@@tommihorttana860 wow, you have beautifully summed up parenting! Even for well adjusted adult parents and carers they may struggle to remember the lessons of their own childhoods.

[@F1rstn4me]

Inside Out is huge and your point about kids learning about these emotions early on is huge. I've struggled with depression for years and had a life much like the one depicted in inside out. When I saw the movie for the first time, I struggled not to break down crying because it's not just about emotions and acceptance, but about depression itself. The loss of interests, the nonacceptance of pain and sadness, the apathy to emotions, it's speaking on the level of depression and it tells the story beautifully, not only showing the heartache and the pain, but the healing.

[@F1rstn4me]

Well it really does depend on a lot. I personally have hereditary clinical depression, so that's not going away no matter what I do. Non-hereditary clinical depression can be much easier suppressed or increased depending on your environmental situation since that's where it's coming from. What we also know is the more mental breakdowns you have, the more likely you are to have them again. Heartache, sadness, pain, those do go away and go away naturally. Clinical depression doesn't, it can only be suppressed, but it can certainly be suppressed for a long time.

[@F1rstn4me]

Yeah, and most days I do quite well now. There are still days like yesterday when things go downhill, but even then, I went to work, I stayed the whole shift, I felt better and I moved on. It's like learning to walk with a limp, that limp isn't going away, but you learn to work with it and keep moving forward.

[@F1rstn4me]

Thanks!

[@Kalvin5]

Thank you for your insight. Inside Out is one of my top movies because of the visceral emotional reaction I had to it, from the beginning notes of the theme song to the end of the credits, I was a mess in the theater in an attempt to keep my sobbing quiet. have never seen a movie like this, one that articulates what depression is like so well, and having such a good message to boot. It was a shame that Amy Poehler was denied an Academy Award for her role as Joy, but she was also denied an Emmy for P&R, and I believe both were because she spoke out against the apartheid wall being built between Israel and Palestine. Inside Out is as much of a teaching tool as it is a wonderful piece of art. It is messages like those in Inside Out that our children need if they are to have a humane future. STAY HUMAN

[@MJ-zt6xl]

This comment made me cry. It reminded me of my spiral into depression and how I used to be before it.

[@jayb555-r9k]

I appear to be leaking out of my eyes. Strange.

[@mertinho]

Damn ninjas cutting onions again...

[@da_miksta]

I'm leaking out my nipples

[@TheMasonX23]

Jacobo Blanco How odd, my eyes seem to have sprung a leak as well.

[@the1andonlytitch]

Must be dust mate

[@JordanBeagle]

Jacobo Blanco Your probably chopping onions, even if you think you aren't ; )

[@k-vy5nt]

Listen to this: Riley’s mom has all female emotions that look like her Riley’s dad has all male emotions that look like him Riley’s emotions are both genders and don’t look like her *and* she has a smaller control table Maybe Riley’s emotions don’t fully form until she’s fully grown.

[@megcouter8366]

​@@therewasoldcringe the original comment actually mentioned nothing about riley's gender identity? most theories explaining the gender of her emotions are actually about where she learned the emotions from, because her dad has anger and fear as his main emotions they ended up being masculine in her mind. op actually was talking about how the small control panel and variety of emotions might symbolise the lack of emotional development in younger kids. but i guess you just want an excuse to hate on people different from you.

[@teefthief]

@@pixiie4778 no-

[@candirach]

Someone mentioned how the mom’s main emotion (like how Riley’s is joy) is sadness and they said how maybe she was battling depression or something like that

[@monet8562]

YOU JUST MADE EVERYTHING MAKE SENCE so if the male one made it with joy would Riley be bi? That’s just what I think

[@callmeaprilroseorisha404]

That makes sense

[@mrlieenn]

Emotional intelligence, something that is often overshadowed.

[@ThePolistiren]

Isn't that a contradiction? Emotions are fundamentally fallacious ways of reasoning, totally contrary to actual intelligence.

[@ThePolistiren]

***** I'm calm, just having fun. And those have to do what with actual intelligence? Now, though I can understand your simple minded view on things, they certainly do not fit the reality that I observe. To run over your two examples: Money are required to live healthy in this society, such as buying food. We eat said food because our organism demands food. Where's the emotion coming in? I merely try to avoid discomfort.

[@ThePolistiren]

***** Because it's suffering on a lower scale.

[@ThePolistiren]

Weird.

[@clixx13]

+Turtoi Radu You're conflating intelligence with rationality. Emotion may not be based on rationality, but it doesn't necessarily follow that it is always irrational to listen to one's emotions. In any case, look up emotional intelligence and you'll find it has a very specific, clinical definition.

[@WaqasAliAbbasi10]

The inside out score and your perfectly timed "Emotional Intelligence" at 8:24 gave me goosebumps

[@AeroImp]

That's actually got a name - Frisson. "It is typically expressed as an overwhelming emotional response combined with piloerection (goosebumps)."

[@arthurdent6256]

I can make myself do that at will, not sure how that works. I can't fake a laugh though.

[@folkwhore8322]

It gave you goosebumps? Oh boy it gave me TEARS

[@Psychopatz]

@@AeroImp Wow, I dont know that's a common occurrence. Thanks, One of my childhood questions are answered hehehe

[@alanbareiro6806]

I'm a psychology student and I can't express how much I loved this movie.

[@SoManyColours]

I hope to be a psychology student one day and very same! lol 4 years later

[@alanbareiro6806]

@@SoManyColours You will, don't give up your dream.

[@SoManyColours]

@@alanbareiro6806 Thank you! I hope so

[@amehak1922]

Sad: you're gonna get lost in there! Happy: be positive! Sad: I'm positive you're gonna get lost! Happy: that's the spirit!

[@rellicbeats]

im a 19 year old guy and i couldnt hold my tears watching this movie smh

[@IhorPrTV]

I feel you bro.

[@ashash8]

+TheBadGuy I was in the theatre and I cried then showed the movie to my sister for her to learn things like being sad is okay and I cried even more and my sister didn't even enjoy the movie. Ugh.

[@IhorPrTV]

:P

[@meba444]

+TheBadGuy I am a 19 year old girl and I couldn't either. I love this movie because, even though it isn't perfect, it's so helpful! My brother can't speak, but his school has dolls of these characters that him and the other children can use to show the teachers what emotion they are feeling. They've even invented some.

[@eragon96grasel]

I cried nearly too :') The movie is saved as a yellow and blue ball...

[@paulaclarke3421]

I rewatch Pixar films over & over, but Inside Out is one I shall wait for some time before I consider watching again. I suffer with debilitating depression and I felt the scene in the pit of lost memories was so close to pictorially expressing my own despair when my depression takes over. I'm due to see my psychiatrist soon and I will urge him to see this if he hasn't already. Pixar make brilliant films and this is up there with the best of them but who knew they were able to connect so deeply with a viewer's psyche.

[@paulaclarke3421]

***** Hi Darknut64 Thanks for replying. I too feel better after crying, but sometimes the tears don't come (I think the antidepressants hold them in) and I find myself navel gazing, going over my past (never a good idea). Maybe I should buy this video to have as a tool to open the floodgates! Take care and be well x

[@YOTHISISYO]

I usually over analyse movies and try to find out the true meaning of them (Completed IMDB TOP 250 , telling this so that you can know that i watched a lot and I am from India), But for some reason I found Inside out as a plain movie for kids . After reading your comment i had to question myself what was wrong with me that i could not connect with Inside Out . Now I see it , I rarely feel sad or depressed (I am still 23 years Old) . So this movie had an effect only on people who had those feelings ? Now that is a hard question to answer . I hope you have all the joy , Peace :)

[@coppersense999]

yep, I never watched this and now I am glad, especially since this video analysis is what I hoped to walk away from the kids film with. I know how movie makers skillfully puppeteer viewers' emotions with Lassie type situations and I am not going to subject myself to that level of psychological torture for fiction (by Lassie i mean scenes where the beloved pet dies, etc.) Your comment confirmed my decision as the best thing for my mental health, thank you.

[@ellw7830]

I have seen this film twice (if my memory is accurate)--once before I went through a period of depression and once during. I had radically different interpretations of the film each time, which was really interesting. The first time was maybe a year or two after I moved with my family out of my childhood house to a house a few miles away, in a different part of the city. It was not a big move I suppose--not even as big as Riley's--but I attended a completely different school with people I'd never met and it changed my entire ideology, personality, and some of my deepest, most firmly held beliefs. It made me a more accepting, more open-minded, and less sure person than I was before, all of which I found helpful and meaningful to go through. At the same time, I was losing everything that was familiar to me, and a large part of my identity was being completely modified in response to my new environment. I saw a lot of these emotions represented in Riley's journey, and when Joy was mourning the loss of Riley's earliest memories, I cried over the loss of my own childhood. I felt so far from the little girl I once was. After a few years, that faded, and I adjusted to living in my new home. By eighth grade it was almost completely gone, and by the time I entered high school that was long behind me--just a faint memory of my adolescence. Sophomore year I started to have some trouble with depression. This is a long, deep, tangle of a story, and I'm still figuring it out now, but essentially I started to see how meaningless all the convoluted rules and roles of high school really were, especially when compared with the actual problems our willfully-ignorant-existence-style society was creating. I had, and have always had, this burning desire to do something that means something. When I can't do it (because I am too young or uneducated or have to complete a conjugation worksheet in Spanish class first), there's a huge conundrum. Watching this movie a second time, I saw the parallels between my experience with these large emotions. Sadness and joy leaving the tower (the most powerful emotions suppressed because you are unable to act upon them, or even express them), Sadness helping Bing-bong cry (accepting and releasing your grief), and especially Joy crying over old memories of happiness. That scene was still the most powerful. I cried again, but for a completely different reason this time--I cried because I really was losing myself completely. Almost everything I had been taught and told was crippling me and I needed to understand that. I needed to shed everything I had internalized, every rule, condition, given I had operated under for my entire life, and build my life on my deepest, most soul-crushing truth. I realized that the person I thought I was since I was a child was a complete fabrication that buried my true self, and I couldn't go on without becoming that person. Everything I knew was a lie. Every one of my memories--my oldest, most cherished moments--was now hollow. The little girl, and all of the joys of her world, was not me, had never been me, and was gone from me forever. I am trying to become myself now. It is a long process. Thank you for reading this, if you've made it all the way down here. I wish you luck in your journey.

[@igor78965412320]

Sorry, I couldn't hear what you were saying. I had a speck in my eye.

[@MrSarding]

Damn you Pixar! I'm staring to cry even without the films audio.

[@RoyKlabin]

+Igor Mendonca "Who's the friend who . . .cries softly ... Bing Bong Bing Bon . . ."

[@crewchannel4591]

+Igor Mendonca And an emotional soundtrack in my ear. I never really noticed it before.

[@BennyOcean]

It's nice to cry sometimes.

[@sixnow25]

Your voice is so calming.

[@Rithmy]

the music adds a lot to it too =)

[@tassiomiranda2985]

Just a fun fact, in portuguese, they didn't use the translation of the phase "inside out" - that would be "De dentro para Fora". Instead, the translators decided to go with the title "Divertidamente", which is a word that is a combination of the verb "divertir"- that means"fun"- , and a suffix "mente" - that is used to say that something is a certain way. So "divertidamente" means "To do something in a fun way" (roughly translating and without the context). But the word "mente"(not the suffix) can also mean "Mind". So, they did a kind of a pun with the movie name, making it means "Funny mind" with a word play. I think I over complicated the "fun fact" thing, but I wanted to share this awesome movie title adaptation (that does not occurs very often in portuguese)!

[@elly3359]

Thanks for sharing this :)

[@PrimDidEverythingWrong]

Tássio Miranda IKR?

[@yutisima]

cool! in Hispanic America they translated the title as "Intensamente" which literally means "intensely", but if you separate it ("Intensa Mente") it means "Intense Mind" and I think that's pretty cool

[@antcoelho]

Acho que é uma das raras exceções que a localização do título ficou melhor que o original

[@tassiomiranda2985]

@@antcoelho porra Wallace, 3 anos depois? Deu tempo de eu me formar na faculdade até

[@---ut6fk]

Reminds me of the quote "Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror, just keep going, no feeling is final"

[@omarkayall]

life changing film! Did anyone notice that Joy's pivotal moment comes when she wipes a tear from the happy memory, which then rewinded to the sad part of the memory? I mean come on! How pitch perfect is it that on top of everything, her sadness literally brought her to the same conclusion as the film: Joy needs sadness; Riley needs sadness. I find that mindblowing

[@Psychopatz]

Wow, what an interesting point of view. I didn't really notice that. Thanks

[@noahfortner2]

That music alone made my eyes tear up....

[@mayankgupta6213]

'Take her to the moon for me' everytime gets me😢😞

[@frambjosie]

I've always wondered why Joy had blue hair. I mean each emotion had a very obvious colour, seeing Disgust's and Sadness' were also respectively green and blue just like their skin. But Joy had a yellow skin, representing happiness, but still had blue hair, like Sadness. And it still confuses me to this day and I feel like there is something behind it, but I can't figure it out.

[@MrsMoon162]

Josie B I think it is just to make joy stand out more.

[@ruqayathime8546]

I think because you can't experience joy without knowing sadness. Why people prefer a life of hardship, rather than a perfect one. It makes joy sweeter and you, wiser. But however, I personally believe sadness can exist nonetheless, even without knowledge of happiness. Take into account a child who's only known neglect and abuse, they are naturally unhappy without any way to measure their experience to something better. But it's hard to imagine a child who is always happy (not 'ok', but actually elated) without knowing a little sadness, even if it's not having the toy they want.

[@wordart_guian]

it foreshadowed that joy had a bit of sadness in her, which allowed her to cry in the bit

[@rayenhuaiquilao1706]

@@MrsMoon162 there's nothing to over analyze, director said Joy has blue hair because it looked like tinkerbell if it were all yellow.

[@swanlikes]

Also the fact that Riley's mom had all female emotions and Riley's Dad had all male emotions, but Riley had mixed genders, which might hint that she's thinking about being genderfluid or something else. I dunno, but like hey its a theory

[@jonbaxter2254]

Depression is a big bag of suck. But this film gave a good reason to its existence, and sadness as a whole. We need it, to empathise, to give a situation gravity, to tell people we need help. But also sadness is one of the most powerful emotions that can move you. I left the film moved but I enjoyed the film so much.

[@samus323]

+Jon Baxter Exercise, diet, and cognitive behavioral therapy can wipe out most depression :) Antidepressants are less effective than a placebo pill.

[@tintinlointain]

+Pixel Perfect absolute, dangerous bullshit. antidepressants work very well and are essential for treating depression.

[@haroldsandahl6408]

+tintinlointain They are not essential, they just help. Well, they can be essential depending on the type and severity of depression you have. But most depressions (assuming that it isn't severe or manic) can be treated through CBT, ACT, or other therapy techniques. I won't claim that antidepressents are less effective than a placebo pill, but I will claim that too many people use antidepressents as a means to avoid confronting the issues that made them depressed or learning the techniques that are required to live with or overcome depression.

[@samus323]

Like Butters says in South Park, the bad stuff makes you feel that much better when you're happy. (paraphrased) Like when you're sick you feel miserable and think you'll never get better, but then when you're normal and healthy you tend to take it for granted but are at least mildly grateful you're not sick.

[@michaeldawson1194]

Depression and sadness are two different things. Everyone feels sad, which is healthy, but depression is literally a mental instability, a mental illness that makes even happy memories feel terrible. I'd say it isn't necessary and that sadness is the more integral piece to the mind

[@Skinnymarks]

I love how complex and full characters the emotions are. joy was an incredibly complex character. and sadness as her foil really brought out so much in her character.

[@Payuka23]

Spirited Away please!

[@francescameier5798]

+Lucas Palhuca that would be awesome :)

[@impalabeeper]

+Lucas Palhuca He's gonna say it is indeed about prostitution :P

[@nonikita]

+Lucas Palhuca May I suggest "Hayao Miyazaki - The Essence of Humanity " by Channel Criswell

[@Rosalith]

+Lucas Palhuca might be a little hard to do without thorough research. Nerdwriter1 if you do SA do bunches of research, the movie heavily draws from Japanese mythology.

[@samus323]

+Lucas Palhuca Not even Miyazaki can explain Spirited Away.

[@tobinfrevert5211]

Inside Out I thought was an excellent observation of the nuance of somber, or maybe bittersweet ideas/memories/thoughts. I laughed at the first Bing Bong and sobbed at the last Bing Bong

[@punkjl]

I kind of disagree that Riley feels robotic. I think when you really analyze what she is going through, it's that what is happening to her is what is actually controlling the emotions. It's no accident that Joy and Sadness get sucked up the tube, nor how it won't let fear do the same thing. When Sadness is messing things up, she doesn't even understand why she is. Because the movie so brilliantly mends together these emotions and making it feel like they are driving, when in reality they are being driven by Riley's decisions. Doctor just simply makes a story out of those emotions being driven as though it seems they are not. That they are making their own decisions, or that it's merely coincidence. But it is all based on the decisions Riley is making on the outside.

[@chelbieree]

She's literally ran by a control panel and circuit boards. I think that's what he's saying.

[@rosabscura]

@@chelbieree it’s like the theory of everything is what she’s talking about. How things seem to drive themselves forward in coordination with what’s happening all around.

[@BigHenFor]

I think that it is a little broad to say that it is Riley's choices that are driving her emotions. How we interact with our existence is much more of a feedback loop. A baby cries when its hungry, or when its bottom is sore when its nappy needs changing. Neither involves a choice. It just is. And a baby's executive functions are not executive to the baby. It just cries. And that's instinct. Baby knows that without learning or choice. Children learn from their environment, and functional parenting and experiences provide that input, and that input literally shapes the development of babies' brain. This is why emotional development is less about intelligence and more about language, expression, and meaning. A Caregiver's roles is to broaden their charges emotional vocabulary and expand their emotional expression to work with executive functioning and instincts. The emotional centres of the brain are the middle child in evolutionary development of the brain, and they respond to instinctual drives and executive function. The instinctual old brain is the eldest, and the executive function is the youngest in evolutionary terms. And why the executive function can be easily derailed, subverted, or sidelined completely by the emotions or instincts, but they work together. The emotional centres are the bridge that link the two. Choices are learned, and then become available for agency. It's s lifelong process, because brain plasticity allows new memories to be connected, and unneeded ones to be forgotten. We only mature in our emotional development when we learn to be fluent in expression, aware to the inner and outer environment, and to manage ambiguity or uncertainty. Then the emotions can evolve. But the skills needed can be learned thanks to neural plasticity. We come into this world without an instruction manual. So we work it out as we go along, and our emotions language develops. Riley didnt have any choice in having to leave the place she knew, so she would have even less choice in how she felt about it. She would feel what she felt, because she knew only what she had experienced. But by having the safe emotional space to identify and explore those feelings, she learned what they meant, and then could figure out what to do about them. It is often through loss we learn to appreciate more what we have, because that is a new experience. Our experiences shape us, for good or ill. Even our thoughts, reflect things external to ourselves, as they are inputs that created them. And in doing so, shapes our choices, and the limits of our actions. And GIGO applies. It is said that one can get by in learning a foreign language by learning a vocabulary of only 3,000 words. But possibly, with the loss of subtlety, nuance, depth, and flexibility. You can get by, but can you thrive? Minimalism is a choice, and can be expressive, but so can Baroque and Rococo design.

[@Bhuyakasha]

I think the point is not only that sadness is necessary, it is that it can give comfort, it can give happiness. This is really nicely shown when Riley smiles while being comforted by her parents.

[@lgp379]

You've become my new FAVORITE channel!

[@xXUxCXx]

Same here!

[@AndYouGotALetter]

+Luiz Gustavo Why? He didn't really say anything.

[@lgp379]

+Hello There All his videos and studies of movies, art and concepts have a socio/ political/ psychological aspects. How art influence our daily life. Of course, not everything that he said (in this video) it's a big new (for me), because i know some areas that he discuss. But considering the fact that not everyone here (youtube) have the time or just never stopped to think about this movie through a psychological way, OR his others videos about movie that he analyses through socio-political view. He simplify a heavy content into a 5 minutes video. And... as a advertising person, I also love video-editing, and I in person think that he does very well.

[@AndYouGotALetter]

Luiz Gustavo But he didn't say anything of substance, he just rattled off a bunch of non-sequiturs without following through on any of them with the exception of one partially at the end. People think about movies a lot (well not enough it seems if the people on KZbin are eating this up).

[@MyCaptiveAudience]

+Hello There "He didn't say anything of substance." Pot calling the kettle black?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Wow - awesome work!

[@dragonofdoom99]

+Filmmaker IQ This comment take the cake! Two of my favourite KZbinrs. :)

[@kaitlin3102]

I love how Inside Out really dives into the concept of psychology in an artistic and creative way. Also, the animation is absolutely GORGEOUS. I love how they made Joy super bright, and how they animated Riley's tears, and the little details with the clothing, like with Sadness' sweater. I'm a HUGE Disney Pixar fanatic and I think these videos are very amazing and enjoyable to watch. Learning is so fun 😍!

[@nothinmulch]

Literally the music alone makes me want to cry

[@Johnrichardsjr]

"...I'll leave the formal critique to someone else" ?? OWN IT! This was the best analysis i've seen to date. Thanks for your work on this. Very nicely done!

[@Johnrichardsjr]

Let me know when you tackle LOST

[@jakobsanchez738]

I can't even watch an Inside Out analysis video without crying. Damn you, Pixar!

[@WyliesWorld]

I'm proud to say that I used to be neighbors with Pete Doctor, and went to school with his son. I didn't know Pete very well, but it's really cool that I was able to know of someone close to me that has had so much influence on pop culture. I remember him walking around my school with his Oscar from Wall-e. So cool.

[@warmanfuzzy2198]

One thing that makes this movie so great are the little details. When joy is rewinding the memory orb, her tears are smudged across the ball. At 8:05, how she goes from hugging those orbs to dropping them, and just hugging herself, while not caring that they dropped. Keeping that position and attitude after collapsing is so powerful.

[@emmie9435]

I would die for Riley

[@legoneb]

emmie943 why?

[@hopechr]

overly attached boyfriends

[@zachjohns6776]

Well, when Bing Bong disappeared permanently in the Memory Dump, ceased to exist, gotten totally forgotten, it felt like, to me now, that he'd actually died for Riley so she could be happy again.

[@adonaysuarez8316]

I would die for riley!

[@Mrafif23]

Ok haircut

[@TheCaliforniaHP]

That final scene hug scene is so cathartic in Inside Out. Gets me every time. I release of pent-up emotions so necessary for all of us.

[@lewismtdev]

I love when this guy speaks; what he says - the way he says it and his voice just all come together to an amazing experience.

[@ewongewongc]

I love these analytic videos on movies!! Please keep on going!!

[@therealzilch]

Yeah, it's another Disney/Pixar flic, tugging at our heartstrings. But it's original, funny, and even a bit profound. Making sadness essential is a very daring thing for Americans. Keep going in this direction.

[@steelgray2473]

I moved 8 times between my first grade year and my senior year of high school. To me this movie finally showed what I felt over and over. I'd felt burned down and built up again so many times that I didn't even know who I was, all of my "islands" were destroyed and replaced so many times it felt like all I was ever doing was breaking and recovering, never actually getting to be someone. And, as cheesy as it sounds, I'd felt so awfully alone in that experience before Inside Out.

[@mackenziemilder9406]

All my friends think it's weird that I cry when I watch this movie. It's nice to know that I'm not the only who understands the message of it

[@TeaAndCroissants]

I really liked the way Inside Out displayed depression, because many people seem to think that it is extreme sadness when really it is more like the absence of all emotions. By having the control panel turn black and become inoperable Inside Out displays this well, further breaking the stereotype of depression being sadness by having Sadness be the one to fix it.

[@TealJosh]

I think the control panel turning off was more of a relation to anti-social behavior instead of depression. Running away, stealing parents' money etc. I agree that depression is not simply extreme sadness, but I think the best way to describe it is chemical imbalance. And its effects are no positive emotions, lack of self esteem and motivation, and whatelse.

[@Mindofthequill]

Phenomenal breakdown, you have a new subscriber in me. Also tears came straight back to my eyes during a good 60% of those scenes used. Which is odd being that I personally couldn't even really begin to imagine that whole moving thing at a young age like that, yet I still found myself connecting on an emotional level with the characters in this movie when I watched it. It's quite something being human is it not?

[@bab3300]

the mitochondria is the power house of the cell

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

Babla Lame Tumblr memes.

[@marygonsalves2323]

Atleast you know that. U lazy shit.

[@lonely5581]

Yes

[@bab3300]

@@IkeOkerekeNews i know it been 2 years but u were right. And also nigga fuck you 🖕🏽

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

@@bab3300 Thank you, and I don't care.

[@onee]

I wouldn't call Sigmund Freud a reliable source to be honest. Pretty much all of his theories have been made up while he was on drugs. While Paul Ekman travelled around the world, and tried to found out if our emotions were cultural or universal. He found out that they were universal. I don't say that you are wrong, but I would look beyond Sigmund Freud, if you want to look at psychoanalysis.

[@F1rstn4me]

Freud isn't often considered reliable by therapists and psychologists on a wide scale anyway. He is well known though and psychoanalytics is considered his brain-child. It's what he created that's more reliable than what he actually believed of it.

[@joebob2299]

Agreed. Psychoanalysis as envisioned by Freud is less handy as an actual tool in a clinician's tool box than most people imagine. Side note: Psychoanalysis is, however, a fun tool for literary studies and theory. I might not be able to accurately interpret the dreams of real people with much accuracy, but I sure can do it to characters in movies and books and have it work sometimes.

[@TheIslesShip]

Aidan Albrecht to be completely honest, the jury's out on Freud. many of his more extreme, perverse theories have essentially gone the way of alchemy as some strange pseudo science whose application has to do more with curiosity now then actual science; that being said, he is essentially the godfather of a facet of modern psychology, and although most of his theories have been adapted to the point where they can't reasonably be called his theories anymore, he still has a major influence on how psychology is taught today in general.

[@argella1300]

Exactly! Like, he was one of the first to even suggest that traumatic experiences in our pasts leave scars that can inform how we act in the present and future. That was and is huge. And also the fact that his idea of "hey, let's sit down and talk about these experiences and try to get a handle on them so I can attempt to help you move on and start healing", is also incredibly important.

[@aaronbrutus2654]

I try to stay sober for the most part, but honestly? I know for a fact that I can think most clearly, and I process things much better when I'm high. the fact that he was on drugs doesnt negate his theories. they should only be negated if they are unlogical or unreasonable.

[@WunChebba]

the music of this movie is just so great

[@Pleaseunderstand]

It's put me in an existential state of perpetually inescapable loneliness. I await the sweet release of death around every corner.

[@Redem10]

3:43 For a moment I though my screen was acting weird

[@delesewilson429]

Hi so I should said this like two years ago but for some reason never got the chance. Thank you so much for creating this video. You help me two years ago for an assignment in Introduction to Psychology and now you're helping me again with Organizational Behaviour. So thank you

[@Joshalots]

Holy shit that crack thing gave me a heart attack.

[@The80slover4512]

lol. I wasn't the only one 😂😂😂

[@hwyatt888]

me too my heart skipped a beat I thought it was a snake

[@Nikadeemus88]

+Joshalots haha right? I didn't move an inch, but my heart was pounding! It was almost disbelief.

[@hwyatt888]

***** Snakes come in many shapes and sizes don't be snakist

[@VicariousReality7]

+Joshalots Crack?

[@ellie2675]

Mr. Nerdwriter I just now subscribed to your channel. I haven't seen anyone else ask the kind of questions you do. I enjoy your calm and respectful way of talking, it makes me feel free to disagree without getting heated up over the subject. It's hard to do that when talking about movies and controversial issues. Thank you for making these videos.

[@corysinman]

From a Ph.D. in emotion and memory that is part of the debate on neural underpinnings of emotional experience: Well done and well stated. I very much enjoy your content! Keep up the great work! Glad to see you also came across Lisa Feldman Barrett's work in contrast to Ekman's perspective. This is a very current debate in the theory of emotion literature. Do you have an academic background in this topic or did you pick it up from some basic research for the video, specifically? If you'd like to discuss this further please let me know with a comment. In particular, I'm in the process of becoming an expert in the influence of emotional experience on memory and the neural underpinnings of these processes as a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University. Good luck with your channel...I hope your subscriber count keeps growing!

[@amehak1922]

When Riley talks to that kid and his control room is on red alert and they're all freaking out is so funny, cute and accurate ❤😂🥺🥰😍 Argh!! GIRL GIRL GIRL GIRL Argh!

[@chamab.6800]

I fell in love with this movie when I first saw it in the theatre. I didn't even know what it was I was just going with a friend. It was such a pleasant surprise.

[@NotASpyReally]

Inside Out helped me control myself, specially when I'm angry. I imagine Joy, Fear, Sadness and Disgust trying to stop Anger reach the control panel and it makes me laugh XD

[@futurefastapproaches3318]

This is just my favourite Pixar movie. I cry every time at the ending.

[@Spike-ru7fo]

Does anyone just love these videos like really likes them

[@HansPeterRV]

Yes, at least 847 000 of us.

[@Eddygeek18]

I'm 22 and i loved the film, so emotional had me in tears at the end. First film in many years i have cried to

[@lucasfreeman9469]

My attention was held throughout the entire video, that's incredible. The way you describe the film and its subtleties and psychological facets is really very clear and concise, not to mention the fact that you do a great job of articulating and holding an interested tone of voice. Really quality video right here.

[@jamilabrownie]

3:50 freaked me out. I thought I cracked my screen! LOL!

[@Suchwerewolf]

As a kid who was told repeatedly to control their emotions, who is now an adult who can’t even cry when family members die, this movie is so essential. I will NEVER tell a child to control their emotions, only their behaviour if it endangers themselves or others. I will tell them it’s okay to feel what they feel, so long as they don’t hurt themselves or anyone else. The ending causes sharp pain behind my left eye, every time. I can’t cry, or feel sad, but this movie comes close to breaking that wall. Other scenes tend to invoke physical aches and pains. Emotional pain is something I automatically swallow, even if I’m alone and TRYING to cry coz instinct tells me it’ll feel ?good? ??cathartic? But years of habit can’t be undone with one great movie unfortunately. I often wish I could scan my brain while watching this, just to see where the pain occurs and what parts of my brain are lighting up or failing to do so under emotional stimuli, because I’m sure that my damage regarding suppression of emotions must be having some toxic effect on my brain and therefore my body. I’m always suffering little aches and pains and I avoid any emotional stimuli usually, like relationships or friendships, and when it comes to movies that invoke emotions, I fast forward through bits that hurt. Because again, it’s literal pain for me. Not emotional pain. It just hurts my head. I really would love more info on emotional surpression resulting in physical pain, but there’s not much.

[@flikcster]

Could it be said that since the control center is in the middle of that pit balancing on a small singular pillar to be a representation of how close our sanity is to being lost?

[@capenterjojo3373]

Thee is a speciality with joy in my opinion. 1. She glows not like others 2. She has the identy of all the other emotions (hair is blue like sadness, gown is green like disgust etc ) 3. She was the first one to get in her mind as an emotion 4. She controls everything. Joy is like the real mind or may be like the soul. We normally doesn't like to embrace pain or sadness just like joy. But we gotto embrace it. Joy is Rylie

[@gizmog]

beautiful video, thank you... :D

[@wanderingchook1193]

this movie is deep and emotional, i cried. i also felt a few watery moments while watching this video essay. you have a way of explaining things, i really enjoy listening to your opinions, research and you express them clearly. you also deliver you essay in a calm and measured way, which is pleasant to listen to. thank you.

[@inxzooms256]

Oh! do Bojack Horseman!

[@somethingthatpops]

I second this motion

[@2brosand1up64]

Candice Martisano Wisecrack made a video about it.

[@galianad.4511]

I fourth this motion!

[@Tozzie50]

I fifth this motion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@h3rbst_schm3rz14]

+

[@mattsings2]

The use of your words whole-heartingly inspires me. You sir, are breaking new-ground for creativity and your channel is indeed one of a kind! Thank you for sharing your talents of writing. I have never been so enthused to explore the use and integration of language, but because of you everything just clicked. You have the passion for writing, and you make the things you write about come alive. For that I am grateful... looking forward to more videos... thank you once again and God Bless

[@JoseOldenburg]

OMG man, your channel is amazing. Instant fan. Thank you, thank you for making meaningful art, creating meaningful discussions. Thank you!

[@Timbomama]

Three of your videos before breakfast, and two moved me as much as getting a few tears in my eyes. Well done.

[@racewiththefalcons1]

This might be the greatest movie made in our lifetime. I can think of no other attempt that fully encapsulates and exploits the lack of imaginative boundaries the medium presents, and to tie every element of story together as seamlessly and organically as Pixar has with Inside Out is, to me, the absolute height of cinema. This is peerless film-making.

[@MedhaavMahesh]

+racewiththefalcons1 BLEH! that is a huge insult to filmaking, or maybe you are talking about the wrong movie, the right movie would be anomalisa or mad max fury road. also we are talking about which movie had great filmaking, not which film we liked

[@kyleconley4690]

+Medhaav Mahesh Mad max was a fucking terrible movie lol it didn't even have a good or valid plot. The only positive to that movie was that it was 99% action

[@MedhaavMahesh]

Kyle Conley lol, you dont know anything about great symbolism, characters(this movie had a lot), stunts, editing, cinemetography, art direction and direction. movie had a simple plot but one of the best directing in the last 2 years.probably you know nothing about directing because the only thing you care about is plot and the plot was jst simple not bad, if you think this movie had a bad plot, go watch a few classics they have mediocre plots, examples include citizen kane, badlands, 2001, casblanca, gone with the wind, alien, bicycle thief and other all have kind of bad plots but are classics, soooo you basically are dissing some of the best movies ever made because of directing and how well it was presented. fury road is a modern classic because of what i said, it is an extremely well presented movie and there 80% charcter development in the movie(65% of the time in action scenes there was a lot of character development but you could not see it. oh wait *facepalm* you are a mainstream movie goer, i forgot, you know nothing about great filmaking

[@supernova4460]

+lordDEMAXUS - Why do you believe that your opinion is fact?

[@MedhaavMahesh]

Nova i wasnt giving opinions. you probably didnt even read what i said. great directing and storytelling isnt an opinion, same thing with great cinemteography, editing and acting. it is like saying birdemic has better camera work than the revenant and better visual effects than star wars 7

[@Balendula]

I think the movie had a buddhist message. About being mindful of your emotions and thoughts and where they arise from. But the movie also chose a very specific idea of how the mind works. Joy was the first emotion that came out of "nothing" - tabula rasa. Riley's memories are constantly determined by her emotional reactions to things. We never actually see her thinking process, or contemplation, but we are given this picture of these distinct, autonomic emotions, that are commanded by a more mysterious executive mental process. The emotions seem to "choose" or "Agree" on an appropriate emotional response, but they are restricted by the framework of the mind in which they live. Only in the end do they discover "mixed" memories - something which the potential was there all along, but required the maturity and self-reflection of Riley's mind in order to discover.

[@glenhoerner8837]

Wow. You just got a subscriber my friend. Amazing analysis.

[@trajanoleydetcossani517]

Man your way of analyzed films and ideas, and your narrative and pace, are really enjoyable and very enlightening!!! CONGRATS!!!

[@StsFiveOneLima]

It is interesting that Joy can bring on crying just as deep, it not more so, as Sadness. It is also good.

[@jpcrafton69]

I don't see Riley as coming across as robotic. She's no automaton. Instead, I see the characters of Joy, Sadness, Anger, etc. as being aspects of Riley. They ARE Riley - or, at least, they're parts of her. Not all of the parts of her, either. There's no reason not to think there's an executive function in her brain as well, and that the emotions simply aren't aware of it (which actually makes sense). I figure Riley IS the sum of her emotions, that executive function, her experiences (as they've formed her and as she remembers them), etc. All the emotions are doing, at that control board, are suggesting an emotional response. That's it. They do it through the recollection of memories if necessary, but they don't force an action. Since immature people tend to be controlled more by their emotions than by reason, it makes sense that Riley's actions would be closely coupled with the suggested emotional responses. Notice that Riley's own words don't come from the emotional center of her brain. They come from somewhere else. Tinted as they are with emotion, the words are formed elsewhere. The same holds true for her actions. When Joy presses the button or moves the lever, Riley decides to slide down the rail. Joy didn't make her do that. Joy simply suggested to Riley that she could have fun at that moment. Riley decided, elsewhere in her brain, whether or not to act on that emotion. Riley decided which action to take as a consequence of that decision. So while Pete Docter didn't explicitly show us the executive functions of the brain, he implied that they exist by showing us that Riley still had control over her actions and words, whether those actions or words included emotional input or not.

[@Anticrystal88]

Saw this movie this past week for the first time. As an aspiring screenwriter, I had to ask, who is the protagonist? Clearly, it's Joy. She goes on the journey, both physically and spiritually, until she discovers that Sadness has an important role to play, which leads to a more complex, holistic "world" -- not hockey world, not family world, but an interconnected experience in which the core memories may be both yellow and blue, and the emotional landscape is bigger and interconnected. Which may be reflective of Riley's growing up and integrating her emotions?

[@wesleywallace4426]

Riley is the protagonist; Joy is the antagonist. It's called toxic positivity, positivity that isn't real is just deception.

[@chrissallitt58]

The movie is also emotionally interactive. As an audience you are emotional involved to Riley's emotions. Not only Riley's emotions but your own as an audience member are the characters portraying the narrative. Also there is suggestion that happiness is the lead emotion in control of our behaviour and that letting other emotions get in the way of your hapiness can be destructive. Also imagination plays a massive role in recovering our hapiness when things are looking bad. It also suggest multiple personalities assigned to emotion and person characteristics portrayed by each emotion. Its such a complex movie so good. 10/10

[@Germania9]

Since you've bring up scientific accuracy in storytelling, does such accuracy add more drama to any storytelling or does it detracts from the story?

[@imberrysandy]

+Zedfinite To be honest, it depends on the storyboard artists and how much integrity of the subject they want to put into the film. When Inside Out was in their last year of production, the Pixar team toured around to various art colleges to give lectures about the making of the film. What sparked Pete Doctor to make this film was his daughter who was going through some emotional changes at the time. A team then traveled around to interview various psychologists and psychoanalysts to gather information. From there, they begin to hand pick information to use as story or design elements.

[@jaimieruiz4335]

+Sandy Win y

[@blahlool]

+Zedfinite It definitely adds an extra layer. Its what permited nerdwriter to dig in and have fun exploring the science.

[@kristennortunen6589]

+DongerLady ToTen jgl!mnh3aghiuvbnl

[@samwallaceart288]

Man, I am SO subscribing to this! Not only is your analysis spot on but you deliver it in such an engaging, profound fashion, the video gets better the longer it plays and that's not easy to pull off.

[@micaprazak4688]

Dear Nerdwriter, thank you so much for these beautiful video essays. I am a teacher and I show them at applicable moments to my students. I am a huge fan of anyone creating their own meaningful analysis of the world around them. And that is what you do beautifully. Thank you so much.

[@roncharette524]

Inside Out allows children to explore the possibility that their emotions are mostly controlled by their thinking and what thoughts they choose to act on. It offers children the opportunity to understand that they mostly control themselves alone, much like we only truly control ourselves and our experiences. The implication is that we have everything inside us to maintain our external circumstances. This understanding has the opportunity to help the child master their emotions and maintain calm in the face of their experiences and circumstances...from the inside out.

[@KrisET]

I love your voice

[@luxurybuzz3681]

Very creepy

[@Lacie9]

@@luxurybuzz3681 bruh

[@bounceysteve]

In 2015, when I watched this movie, I was just watching a Pixar movie. In 2021 I have gone through so much anxiety being autistic, lost friends, and changed. Now whenever I hear the main theme I cry because of how well this movie was aged. Well done Pixar, you made a masterpiece.

[@leofrost1499]

Dude, this movie hit me real hard.

[@tedb5792]

8:03 yes and if you look you can see that this was expressed by the animators by making the emotions a lose collection of particulates in motion like confetti. In the close ups the emotion particles even moved and were textured in accordance with their characters. for instance joy's particles would swirl up and float down like the jumps she and Riley made when experiencing joy. Anger's particles moved in a pattern resembling an itchy fiber denoting irritation. Anyone else see that?

[@graymyers]

The inner workings of my mind are an enigma *milk spills*

[@kevinandrew2]

Dude I've been looking for stuff like this for years. Great videos all around

[@UnReal31337]

Wow 5 hours and already on the front page of Reddit, great job!

[@warsay9222]

what subreddit

[@Theyungcity23]

I feel like a classic aspect of some of the greatest kids movies is nuanced take on emotion. I look at Nightmare Before Christmas or Spirited Away and those movies run on the idea that the emotion is just the interpretation of something that can be endlessly interpreted. I get that from Inside Out was just building up to that as if it was a revelation. It may be for adults, but for children this is how they experience all the time. Its climax was what you get all throughout any well done children's story.

[@Cocosprinkle]

Absolutely love this film for the same reasons!! It is do deep and insightful. Just like UP, the unlikely relationship built between the two main characters is a testament to all.

[@Avergara02]

I honestly hope your channel keeps growing, I absolutely enjoy your videos.

[@light1star]

Thug notes got me here. This was a good decision.

[@light1star]

I approve of this comment!

[@logictruth1]

+Audrey I approve of your comment commenting on your comment!

[@greent26tube]

Man, fantastic video. Thank you for making this, and for such a fair and succinct analysis on this art. As a fellow "nerd writer", artist, and scientist, I found this video extremely engaging and inspiring. I wish you the best with all future work, and I'll be watching!

[@georgeweasley54]

Shit even the breakdown of the theory behind this movie can make me cry

[@folkwhore8322]

I'm glad I'm not the only one

[@adriandurlej9266]

Wow just when i thought your channel couldn't be more awesome! This movie has a special place near my heart, and your breakdown of the themes displayed in the movie really did shine light on what kids should be exposed to, preparing them for inevitable emotion that will happen. Keep it up!

[@zigtausendfach4874]

I have a huge problem with this movie; it seems like neuroscientific reductionism to me with Riley not being in control of herself but rather falls into a simple stimulus-response scheme, which leads to a total determinism with no free will.

[@TealJosh]

Your actions are dictated by temper(baseline) and personality(builds on top of baseline). What makes this **not** free will? It's literally you. Also, reaction to an event is almost never result of free will. Your mind always starts reacting before you can ask yourself, how should I react to this. This is actually interesting when considering ADHD, person that has it lacks impulse control and on top of the reaction being inside your mind, it also very likely is motoric.

[@bananian]

Free will is an illusion.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

bananian Nope. Free will is what ever you want it to be.

[@bananian]

Ike Okereke What does that even mean? Sounds like a cop out.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

bananian It means that you decide.

[@gabrieljlemay]

Great work on this one! I like you comparaisons, especially how you put everything in relationship to psycho-analysis, which I had not seen so far anywhere. Well put.

[@valedro]

Thank you for this video. I wish Inside Out was around when I was a child. I had no emotional education whatsoever and had no idea what emotions even were. I had to learn about emotions later in life. On the other hand, I'm glad I didn't see and accept Inside Out's version as truth, because I like knowing that there are many different emotion theories out there and Inside Out is only one of them. In my own experience, for example, love is quite an important emotion (/sarcasm, It's THE most important emotion). Why isn't it present in Inside Out? Strange.

[@DeeCross]

Well, at one point, there were 26 emotions in Headquarters. Several of them were jokes but seriously considered were Love, Pride, Surprise and Hope. But, at the same time as having that broad observation of emotions, that also meant you had 26 characters that you needed to handle, some of whom were incredibly similar to other characters to the point that it'd be too easy to mistake them for one another. And you also need room to actually tell the story in all the detail it needs between those characters, while still giving them space to actually be characters. So they pared it down by merging whatever emotions felt too similar and whatever was necessary for the final plot. So, I guess, in this case, Love is Joy now. If it's not actually considered an entirely different thing to emotions by the final film and incarnated as a completely different sort of thing, of course. Like, say, a structure that spawns from a formative memory that is given as a reason that the emotions influence as they do. Like, say, the Islands of Personality, two of which are dedicated to familial and platonic relationships…?

[@BriMyselfAndEye]

Wow... beautifully done! As a student of undergrad student & now grad student of psychology for the last ten years, this summary really intrigued me!! Well done! This is one of my favorite movies Pixar has ever done (which is saying A LOT) because I'm a fellow Psych-Nerd and I was analyzing all of this while rewatching it for the 3-4th time. Thank you for putting this so eloquently! I can totally nerd out with this movie while also loving the playful nuances. :D

[@cameronshank898]

this movie had me sobbing with tears for the entire movie

[@vjktryz9955]

Nerdwriter is one of the best projects I ever found on the internet. It is so good to see, that there are still people out there on youtube who use their head for thinking!