Ad hominem, Inside Out 2 and You!
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Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited
I recently took my Little (age 6) to see the movie Inside Out 2 – what a brilliant, insightful crowd pleaser and no, you don’t need a child to go with you. It’s made just as much for adults as it is for kids.
It’s been an emotional year for me, so I appreciated how the film beautifully illustrated the importance of embracing all emotions, both positive and negative, to develop resilience and self-awareness. It emphasized that understanding and balancing our emotions can lead to personal growth and a more authentic life – and that’s kinda my jam!
After you watch the film, I highly recommend taking a complimentary journey on the science behind 4-year-long production, I found that interesting, as well (link below).
While we’re talking about emotions, I want to discuss an important concept today: ad hominem. Derived from Latin, meaning ‘against the person’, it’s almost always used to describe a way of arguing or criticizing that ignores the larger issue at hand and just attacks someone’s character.
I’m sure I’ve delivered this type of ‘feedback’ in the past, and more recently, I’ve certainly been the recipient of it – and I can assure you, it stinks (and likely will trigger anger – which isn’t as cute as my drawing above! )
This got me thinking about how we also do this to ourselves, too (or maybe it’s just me?). Do we attack our own character rather than being forgiving, human, and compassionate with ourselves?
This is not the best path to self-improvement. Instead, we need to understand that just like the characters on Inside Out 2, all our emotions have a place and purpose and it’s healthy to embrace our full range of emotions and be kind to ourselves.
Now…your life, your version, your plan…
Understanding and avoiding ad hominem attacks is crucial for fostering constructive and respectful dialogue, both personally and professionally. You will contribute to a more positive and solution-oriented environment. This approach not only enhances your credibility but also helps to build trust and mutual respect among those involved in the conversation. Instead of resorting to personal insults or criticisms, focus on the issues at hand.
Next time someone gets under your skin, address the issue, not the individual.
Take this idea into your self-talk when you make an error. You needn’t attack yourself – rather shift to why it happened, what you have learned and what you will do differently next time.
And, one more thing – consider talking about this around the kitchen table, board room, report room, etc. – it’s worth a convo!
The Science Behind Inside Out 2…
