Inside Out 2 quotes

Some of my favorite Inside Out 2 quotes:

I loved the first Inside Out movie, but Inside Out 2 was a film that really resonated with me. If you couldn’t tell from my initial movie review, it was probably obvious that I connected with it when I wrote a long and detailed piece on the character of Anxiety.

There were so many moments of this film which stuck with me, and I wanted to dig into it and find some good Inside Out 2 quotes to share. I realized that some of the moments were more complex than just one quote, but there were still many good ones to share! I had some fun making the graphics for these and thinking about why I find these quotes meaningful.

Please let me know your favorite Inside Out 2 quotes – or if there are any great ones you think I missed!

“I’ve learned that every emotion is good” [for Riley] – Joy

I think this is really the heart of the film. It’s the main lesson you should take away – that every emotion has a role to play, and even ones that we normally think of in more negative terms are actually good. They are useful messengers and they bring us balance. Joy has learned that in this movie, and it’s something good for us to learn, too.

“Okay, how can I help? I can take notes, get coffee, manage your calendar, walk your dog, carry your things, watch you sleep!” -Anxiety

Anxiety can appear in different ways for different people, but I strongly relate to the Anxiety in this movie. She feels like she has to “do all the things,” and not only that – she believes she is being helpful. That’s one of the trickiest parts of anxiety for me. My brain is always going a million miles a minute thinking of everything that needs to get done. And then for those things it’s coming up with tons of possible outcomes or things that could result which my brain then convinces me it needs to plan for, and so on.

“I don’t know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe we can’t. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy.” – Joy

This line was definitely an emotional one in the film. It’s a major moment for Joy and a rare show of vulnerability. And I think she’s got it mostly right here – you can’t stop anxiety. You have to work with it. And maybe that means in some ways you feel less joy as you grow up, but there are also so many joyful moments to be had too.

“You’ve made a lot of mistakes. A lot. And you’ll make a whole lot more in the future. But if you let that stop you, we might as well lie down and give up now.” – Anger

It’s tough to feel like you’ve made a major mistake, and that’s what Joy is going through here. And I love the realism that Anger provides here. He doesn’t say “you’ve made a mistake but it’s okay.” He emphasizes that there will be many more mistakes in the future too. And we absolutely can’t avoid that. So instead of trying to run away from it, we have to work with it and not let our mistakes define us.

“You care too much about things.” – Ennui

At this moment Ennui is speaking to Envy, and it’s a pretty funny line (Ennui overall is a funny character!). But she has a point. A lot of times we all care too much about things that perhaps don’t warrant our attention or care. Especially in a case of envy, caring about what others have, look like, or do is something that we should all try to care a little less about.

“Do you think I have all the answers? Of course I don’t.” – Joy

Joy has been running this show since the beginning, so this is another moment of vulnerability for her. She finally confesses to the others (and to herself) that she doesn’t have all the answers. Anxiety plans for the future, and for many of us the motivation behind that is to make things are certain as we possibly can in an uncertain world. But we can never truly know all the answers, or know what is going to happen in the future. No one can.

Joy: “You have a parachute?”
Fear: “Yes, I do. The real question is, why don’t any of you?”

This was a funny exchanged between Joy and Fear, and I loved the moment when they were falling and it was revealed that Fear had a parachute! I think it goes to show how strongly Fear and Anxiety are linked. He carries a parachute on him “just in case,” which seems like a very anxiety thing to do.

“Of course I’m delusional! Do you know how hard it is to stay positive all the time?” – Joy

Even for Joy, it’s impossible to stay positive all the time. That’s an important lesson for all of us. And we shouldn’t try to force ourselves to only see the positives. We don’t want to get bogged down in all sadness, or anxiety, or fear, but a healthy balance of emotions is vital.

“That’s not going to haunt us for the rest of our lives at all.” – Anxiety

Another humorous moment, though it may get a chuckle from the audience precisely because it’s relatable. Anxiety is always thinking about what comes next, or how the things happening now will affect the future. We’ve probably all been there at some point with thinking a mistake or moment will haunt us for the rest of our lives, but particularly as a teenager it feels even more significant. It makes sense that Riley’s Anxiety would say this.

“The only way out is up.” – Fear

Fear means this literally when they are trying to get back to headquarters, but it’s a great metaphor too. When we are down in depression or anxiety, or whatever it is that is affecting us, we have to go up. The Emotions will get back to headquarters, and Riley will rise up from her more difficult thoughts or emotions.

“You’re never lost if you’re having fun!” – Joy

It’s good to have a little “classic Joy” in this movie! She so often tries to see the positive in everything – including getting lost.

“Jiminy mother loving toaster strudel!” – Joy

As far as funny exclamations go, this one is right up there with “Son of a nutcracker!” I think I might start using this expression in real life.

What are your favorite Inside Out 2 quotes?