Anti-Capitalist Lessons from Pixar’s Soul (2020)
Tags: Film, Happiness, Purpose, Pixar, Mindfulness

Photo by Gerold Hinzen on Unsplash

WARNING: THIS REFLECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Capitalism conditions us to believe we must have one sole purpose . One reason to live. One way to live¹. The idea is ingrained into us that by engaging in work aligned with that almighty singular purpose and making money from that work, we will feel happy and fulfilled.

For Joe, he thought his purpose was playing jazz piano. He thought that once he finally landed THE gig, where he could make the most money from playing piano, that he would be happy. Thus, he is confused and shaken when after the gig he thought his life was leading to, he’s not as content as he thought he would be.

Soul warns viewers about putting all our eggs in one basket when it comes to our happiness/inspiration/purpose. Certain things can lift us out of our bodies and take us to a very happy place, where we feel, as the movie says, “in the zone.” However, an obsession with staying in this place is dangerous. When we become convinced that we can only derive fulfillment and inspiration from one source, it can disconnect us from those around us and prevent us from being present in our lives.

Joe’s obsession with jazz prevented him from having a healthier relationship with his mother and a balanced friendship with his Barber (one in which he asks the Barber about his life rather than just talking about his own life).

This obsession also results in a lack of awareness of everything around him to the point where he’s never looking where he’s going, nearly avoids getting hit by several cars and a motorcycle, falls down a manhole, and goes into a coma.

To put it another way, there is a fine line between passion and obsession. We have to be very careful not to let our passions prevent us from being present in our lives. If we believe our passion will meet all our needs, it can make us feel like there’s something wrong with us when it doesn’t. This can result in disassociating and finding ourselves stuck ruminating on questions of why we’re not good enough. “Lost souls” in the movie are guilty of this. These souls are distorted into monstrous depressed creatures who flee from those trying to help them. Isolation, however, prevents us from hearing the affirmations of others and makes us all ears to our negative thoughts.

Those who can’t figure out what their one overarching passion is are also at risk of becoming a lost soul (as we see with the character of 22). What we learn by the end of the film is that IT’S OKAY to not have one overarching passion. If that’s the case, there is NOTHING wrong with us. We can have lots of little passions or bounce around from passion to passion. Our passion isn’t something we’re born with that we’re destined to do. We might think it’s one thing and then stumble into something else (as the Barber does).

Believing we can only derive happiness/inspiration/purpose from one source is a recipe for disaster. We’re taught that our purpose should lie with our occupation, but it doesn’t have to! We can derive happiness/ inspiration/ purpose from anything! Our jobs do not define us! Why search for one central reason to live when you can have thousands! Smelling a slice of pizza can be a reason to live. Admiring leaves falling can be another. Listening to a musician on the subway platform, feeling hot air pass through a grate, enjoying the taste of a lollipop, etc. are all valid reasons to live! Valid sources of inspiration and happiness! We can’t make money from these things though, and so capitalism conditions us to take them for granted or even ignore them completely. That way, all of our attention is on our work. But disconnecting from the world isn’t healthy!

Mindfulness is good for our bodies, minds, souls, and relationships. Mindfulness helps us to live life to the fullest and appreciate the wonder of what is all around us, what it means to be alive! Without mindfulness, it is very difficult for us to hold onto our “spark” (our will to live). Smells, tastes, sounds, touches, sights, should not be minimized or dismissed as “just” living. Living is the point! Living should NEVER be taken for granted. We protect our souls when we embrace the fact no singular thing can meet all of our needs. By being present and finding the beauty in our surroundings, we can find the excitement to live on.

Footnotes:

¹Be very wary of anyone who insists that there is only one way to do anything. These people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge possibilities beyond their immediate comprehension based on their lived experience. The belief that there is only “one way” to live paves the way for authoritarianism and tries to confine everyone to the same box instead of celebrating and embracing heterogeneity.