Sense of Self
Both this film and the original have similar themes, with Joy—one of Riley’s personified emotions—trying to prevent Riley from ever internalizing any negative emotions. In the first film, Joy attempts to keep Sadness at bay and prevent the gloomy emotion from influencing any of Riley’s “core memories.” In Inside Out 2, we learn that Riley has developed a “Sense of Self,” a matrix of beliefs she has about herself based on her memories. One of the new emotions, Anxiety, banishes Riley’s old Sense of Self and emotions to the back of Riley’s mind and seeks to replace her Sense of Self with one that is better and more suited for Riley’s new stage of life. Thus, the film revolves around the conflict between Riley’s old and new emotions and who will control her Sense of Self.
Riley’s Sense of Self is defined by various beliefs throughout the movie. As a child, they include beliefs such as “I am a good person,” “Mom and Dad are proud of me,” and “I’m brave.” Once Anxiety gains control of Riley, her beliefs become centered around her desire to gain a spot on the high school hockey team: “I’m not good enough,” “If I am a Firehawk, I won’t be alone,” and “If I am good at hockey, I will have friends.” Inside Out 2’s Sense of Self illustrates an important worldview question: Who am I? Riley’s identity, her Sense of Self, is found through accomplishments and her circle of friends. There are many other aspects through which people in our culture find their identity, from ethnicity and gender, to politics and religion. Riley’s identity is very powerful, as it helps direct her actions. The same is true of us—the way that we answer the question “Who am I?” will determine many critical aspects of our lives, from the way we live to how much we value ourselves and others.
For Christians, our ultimate identity is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is not in popularity, success, politics, or anything else. Our lives and behaviors are directed at becoming more like Jesus. This is our core Sense of Self. Our value comes from being made in the image of God, which applies to everyone, both believer and nonbeliever alike. Nothing can increase or decrease any person’s value as a divine image-bearer. Our accomplishments or friends do not determine our worth, like Riley believes, and our value will never change no matter how successful, strong, or beautiful we are.
Stopping Anxiety
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the film is when Riley suffers an anxiety attack during an important hockey game. This is illustrated inside her mind with Anxiety becoming a whirlwind, frantically scrambling to find the right actions to help Riley succeed. Many of us have felt this storm of ideas and emotions within ourselves, but it is all the more upsetting to watch anxiety overcome young Riley, who is still very much a child. This is all too common in the real world, as young people are currently facing a mental health crisis of anxiety and depression.
During Riley’s anxiety attack, Joy exclaims, “I don’t know how to stop Anxiety.” Maybe you have felt this way, too. How did Riley escape her whirlwind of emotion? Both Joy and Anxiety had to accept that they couldn’t control Riley. They allowed her to form a new Sense of Self, one consisting of both positive and negative beliefs. Riley cannot be perfect, but must accept herself as she is, flaws and all. This offers us an important lesson for facing our anxieties. We are constantly bombarded with messages, in great part due to the Internet and social media, causing us to fear for our future or feel like we aren’t as good as everyone else. But as noted above, our value is fixed—it is not found in our accomplishments, physical characteristics, or anything else; it is rooted in being created in the image of God and being new creations in Christ. There are certainly many troubling things occurring in the world and our lives, but we must remember that God is in control. He reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). When we are filled with worries, the Bible tells us, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
Take Heart
Many of us—young and old alike—can relate to Riley’s challenge of struggling with anxiety and developing an identity. Thankfully, the Bible offers guidance for both. We are God’s beloved children, created in his image. We are immensely valuable, no matter what we do or what anyone else thinks about us. And when we feel overwhelmed by the problems of the world, we must remind ourselves that God is ultimately in control. We will certainly face hardships in this life. But as Jesus reminds us, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
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