Let's Talk About Sadness

I was specifically thinking about Inside Out and how taboo of a topic mental health still is in the world today. With how many individuals have these struggles I would think by now that institutions such as schools and the prison industrial complex would consider it more seriously. I think that Inside Out takes a step in helping let kids know that depression is very real and even normal. The film is based around the five different emotions and Joy is at the center of everything and she keeps it all running smoothly.

However, the film takes a turn and sort of ends up being about sadness. And I think this is powerful because sadness is one of the greatest emotions that we feel and we feel it all the time. I have always disliked the notion that you have to remain happy all the time and that people will like you better if you're always happy. Because in reality, that's impossible to do. We need to feel our sadness in order to feel other emotions too. And when it comes to depression and other mental health issues, there should be more films that explore these problems. Especially for young kids who might at some point in their lives experience these things.