The first one was better, but this one had some sting, as a preteen life does. What most fascinated me about Inside Out 2 (which will be no surprise if you’ve been subscribed for a while) was its introduction of a glowing mental centerpiece—Riley’s sense of self.
The original Inside Out (2015) featured the jockeying of personified emotions—a relatably comic frustration. The pivot to focus on the main character’s sense of self in 2024 speaks to the deeper psychological crisis many people, especially teens and young adults, experience today. The first movie showed some building blocks of this sense of self with Riley’s values and “islands of personality.” Sudden disruptions to these create a crisis.
Inside Out 2 clarifies how these relate by introducing this central command unit, her “sense of self,” i.e. Riley’s identity. Her values and personality islands all have connecting lines that merge to form a coherent and stable self.
Biblical Truths in Pixar’s Theory of Identity
There are several things I appreciate about Pixar’s theory of identity: First, they steer clear of gender and sexuality. Well done.
Second, they show the complexity of identity. To translate between my hierarchy of identities and Pixar’s visuals, they show the formational role of core memories (defining moments) which I describe as identities of origin. Their islands of personality (family, hockey, honesty, goofball) I describe as identities of role or affinity. They depict the fragility of these islands, which can collapse, fade, and reform.
Third, they show how different values and beliefs (identities of affinity) shape the sense of self. These give guidance and guardrails to your identity. One emotion, however, can temporarily hijack the whole system. The best part is seeing Pixar do all this psychological heavy lifting through delightful animations, providing concreteness to the abstractions of the soul.
The positive effect is that the movie argues against the simplification of identity. You aren’t only your gender or sexuality. Your sense of identity transforms because of your choices, experiences, and interpretation of past events. All those can change tomorrow.
The Unresolved Issue
The saddest thing aboutInside Out 2 is how it ends. Not because it’s wrong, but precisely because it is so accurate. Riley arrives at a mature sense of self by throwing out her solitary over-simplified value statement: “I’m a good person.” Her new, stronger sense of self provides mental relief not through harmonizing all her sides, but through accepting that all these contradictory selves live in tension, with one after another rising up to take control.
In the cathartic resolution scene, she flashes through the following identity assertions in less than thirty seconds:
- “I’m selfish”
- “I’m kind”
- “I’m not good enough”
- “I’m a good person”
- “I need to fit in, but I want to be myself”
- “I’m brave, but I get scared”
- “Success is everything”
- “I make mistakes”
- “I’m nice”
- “I’m mean”
- “I’m a good friend”
- “I’m a terrible friend”
- “I am strong”
- “I need help sometimes”
I teared up watching this brutally honest identity picture. We have hundreds of internal identity voices proclaiming who we are or ought to be. You feel exhilarated one moment, and worthless the next. Who are you really? And if it’s all so malleable, how do you know if who you are is who you should be?
For Pixar, that’s where the answers stop, and what you need is a hug. Not a bad response. But at some point, the hugging stops and the questions resume. That’s where the Bible gives us more.
A Biblical Identity Sorting Mechanism
The Bible affirms Pixar’s portrayal. You have a multiplicity of often contradictory identities. Sometimes “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). The question is how do you go forward? Which identity voice should you listen to?
The Bible doesn’t have an immediate fix because what it offers is more complex than a mechanism. It’s relational and dynamic. It’s Jesus. Jesus and his word can serve as a reliable identity filter. As God speaks through his Word, he will reveal parts of you that are true but shouldn’t be that way. He will also show you the person of Jesus, who is far from one-dimensional in his personality, but is perfect in his identity.
The pathway to identity growth is relationship. As you grow in knowing Jesus and following him, he will quiet the twisted and destructive identity voices in your head, and proclaim true and life-giving ones:
- “I am forgiven”
- “I am loved”
- “I am made new, but I still fall into sin”
- “I am moving towards eternal joy”
Bonus: “Don’t Trust You When It Comes To You”
My friend Samuel James, a phenomenal writer, just published a guest post I wrote: How Jesus Saves From Identity Crisis.
Here’s an excerpt:
Did I miss something? Did I leave something on the table? What if I’d gone to law school like my friend Susan? What if I’d persevered with that long-distance relationship? What if I’d prioritized a different friend group? What if I’d tried the rhubarb-azalea coffee that the barista told me was life-changing? What if? What if? What if!?
I view my writing on this blog as a ministry, therefore my aim is to always offer it for free. If you feel you have been served well through this ministry, would you consider making a recurring or one-time donation?
