I only watched the beginning and the end of the Oscars, and in that small viewing window, K-Pop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Film and Best Score. Which is fitting. The movie is deeper than it sounds. Sure, it’s silly and there’s plenty of fluff. But in addition to catchy tunes, it also has a powerful message that relates to all of us. Here are 3 reasons why you may want to check the movie out.
- We all have demons. In my posts, I usually refer to our demons as the inner critic. This is the voice that tells you that you suck. That you are undeserving. That you are a terrible person. Even the demon hunters themselves have a moment when they give in to their own demons after the band briefly breaks up. (Sorry for the spoiler!)
- Recognizing our demons can set us free. Even the act of naming the inner critic moves us from a reactionary state, in which we passively follow whatever our demons tell us to do, to an observing state where we can question whether our demons are telling us the truth. Can’t I still be a good person, even if I’m flawed? Aren’t we all flawed? In teaching clients how to practice self-compassion, I tell them that our imperfection is part of our common humanity. We are all connected to one another because of it.
- Our common humanity helps us to judge other people less. When we acknowledge that we are all imperfect, that we are all judging ourselves and projecting our demons and imperfections onto other people, we can challenge that voice in our head and tell ourselves that we are no better or worse than the other person. We are all flawed, and that’s OK. We can do our part by not demonizing ourselves or others.
It takes practice to free ourselves from demons. But I assure you, fighting them is an endless battle that you will never win. Look at your mental state now and see if this rings true. If you want to try another way that is difficult but works, learn to practice mindfulness and self-compassion through my blogs Normal in Training, Normal in Training Podcast, and this one.
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