Inside-Out You're turning me...

Cartoon Rendering by My Daughter

My daughters and I recently saw the new Pixar film Inside-Out. This film beautifully explores the interplay between the emotions of an 11-year-old girl named Riley and their role in shaping her experience of the world as she navigates major life changes. At its core this story examines what it is to be alive and to be human.

There are so many gems within this movie - some subtler than others.

One such gem occurs as the emotions of Joy and Sadness ride the "Train of Thought" with Riley's imaginary friend Bing-Bong. As the train screeches to a stop, two boxes distinctly labeled "opinion" and "fact" containing "spheres of memory" tip over causing the spheres to mix. Joy is in a panic as she attempts to return the spheres to their proper box. Bing-Bong, however, advises that they just grab the spheres and shove them in whichever box - after all, what could it matter? 

Brilliant.

Did you see what just happened?

"Opinion" and "fact" were jumbled together as if they were indistinguishable. 

Don't we do this same thing in our own lives all the time...perhaps not realizing it? Perhaps not understanding the ramifications of doing so?

In reality, we often treat our opinion as if it were fact. 

How many times do we correct or get exasperated by someone who is not doing things the  "proper," "correct," or "right" way? Is that "fact" or "opinion?" 

Funny how the line gets blurred in our minds.

I wonder how many times our blurring of the line creates conflict, stress, angst, misunderstanding, hurt, and even violence within our own lives and the lives of those around us.

Think of the hot topics going on right now...within the world at large, your community, your family or within your mind.

How many times is opinion confused with fact? 

and

 What is the cost of doing so?