The movie ‘Inside Out 2’ features the emotions experienced by a girl who has just entered her teenage years. The protagonist, Riley, must face emotions like anxiety, embarrassment, jealousy, and boredom as she leaves her close friends in elementary school to attend a different middle school. These emotions collide with the existing feelings of joy, sadness, fear, disgust, and anger, ultimately giving rise to a new self.

What makes this series intriguing is that these various emotions each become characters and deliver performances that are fitting for them. For instance, the main character of the second film, ‘Anxiety’, always finds herself in conflict with other emotions as she prepares for the worst possible scenario. It feels as though we are looking at the brain of a teenager struggling to find a sense of belonging and self-esteem in a new environment through a microscope. This emotional story not only provides entertainment but also meaning. It conveys that negative emotions such as sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and anxiety are quite useful in life, in addition to positive emotions like joy.

What use is there in falling into sadness due to a breakup? There is a purpose. The pain of sadness prompts one to vow, ‘I must never let myself be in this situation again.’ Thus, negative emotions provide motivation to avoid the cause of that emotion. However, the trap is that while it is I who suffers, the one who benefits from that pain is not really me but my genes. Therefore, you cannot dare enjoy sadness. In this context, Nesse, the founder of evolutionary psychiatry, states, “Negative emotions are the rational choice of genes for survival.”

Anxiety. This is a negative emotion felt when danger or unpleasant situations are present or anticipated, and in situations like Riley finds herself in the film, it can provide greater benefits than merely feeling happy and relaxed. This is because unexpected risks or damages often arise in uncertain environments. Thus, being perpetually cheerful or irritable is problematic. Of course, being engulfed in anxiety all the time is an even bigger problem. But the most severe issue arises when emotions and situations run in opposite directions. For example, when a positive emotion should be activated in a ‘opportunity’ situation, but a negative emotion lights up instead, or when positive emotions precede in a ‘crisis’ situation where the switch for negative emotions should be turned on to prepare for the worst. Those who danced joyfully even as lions prowled around could not have become our ancestors.

The world of negative emotions that our leaders experience daily is much more complex. The brains of political leaders are akin to a storm of emotions on the eve of a tempest. Respected members of parliament in their constituencies carry a large vessel of emotions. This is inevitable as they confront their constituents who may cry, get angry, or become anxious. The public swiftly criticizes when the leadership fails to resonate emotionally with them (for example, when the public is sad but the leader expresses only anger). Citizens worried about the future are much more unsettled by unfounded optimism from the leadership.

Recently, the truth behind the President’s ‘rage’ has sparked heated discussions. During the hearing regarding the Marine Corps soldier's death, one official testified, “Everything got tangled up because of one person’s rage,” while someone from the presidential office responded, “There was no rage.” Rumors also persist that the President’s wrath over allegations regarding First Lady Kim Gun-hee’s luxury bag issue has not yet subsided. What kind of negative emotion does this series of presidential rage represent?

As in the movie, anger itself is not the problem. Rather, it can be a solution. According to Ekman, an expert in emotional research, anger provides the strength necessary to defend oneself in the face of threats or dangerous situations and motivates one to correct injustices. So what should a leader’s anger be like? A leader should not use their anger to defend themselves from threats like an ordinary person but should transform that anger into a means to rectify social injustices. It is a form of public anger. We share in the anger when we observe the statements and actions of such leaders. The profound sadness resulting from unfortunate events and accidents experienced by the public. And the public anger questioning whether those situations could have been prevented. For society to improve, leaders must activate these mature negative emotions.

Moreover, the anger of our leaders usually targets specific individuals or groups. What truly frustrates us is specific actions or systems. Ekman suggests that if you wish to help someone caught in personal anger, shout out ‘timeout’. Just allowing someone to take a deep breath for a moment can ease personal anger. But who in the presidential office can shout out ‘timeout’?