Some experiences are harder to leave behind than others. A friendship that ended badly, someone you trusted letting you down, or a phase of life that changed the way you see people. Even when things are technically over, the feelings don’t always disappear with them.And sometimes, the hardest part isn’t what happened. It’s figuring out how to move forward without letting that experience change everything about you.Angelina Jolie once spoke about this in a rather interesting way. She acknowledged that people cannot always control what happens to them, but they do have some say in what they make of those experiences.Today’s quote of the day by Angelina Jolie reads: “We have a choice about how we take what happens to us in our life and whether or not we allow it to turn us. We can become consumed by hate and darkness, or we’re able to regain our humanity somehow, or come to terms with things and learn something about ourselves.”Jolie shared these thoughts in an interview with Psychologies magazine in 2014. Her remarks were reported by FemaleFirst on June 8, 2014, which attributed the quote to that conversation.What makes the statement interesting is that she isn’t suggesting people should simply forget painful experiences or act as though they weren’t affected. It’s more about what happens afterwards. You can acknowledge that something hurt you without allowing it to become the only thing that shapes your outlook on life.
What does Angelina Jolie’s quote mean?
Think about how one unpleasant experience can affect completely unrelated parts of your life. Someone breaks your trust, and suddenly you find yourself questioning everyone else’s intentions. A friendship ends badly, and you become a little more guarded with the next person who tries to get close.It happens more often than we realise.Angelina Jolie’s words touch on that very feeling. Being hurt is a part of life, but staying angry forever can become exhausting. That doesn’t mean you have to forgive someone who wronged you or pretend that everything is okay. Sometimes, moving forward simply means accepting that something happened and choosing not to carry its bitterness everywhere.There is also something quite important in her reference to learning about ourselves. Difficult experiences can reveal things we might not have noticed otherwise, including our boundaries, our expectations and what we are no longer willing to accept.
Why does this quote feel relevant today?
With so much happening around us, it’s easy to feel like we are constantly expected to move on, be productive and get back to normal. But real life doesn’t always work that way.Some things take time. You might think you’ve moved past a situation, only to find yourself thinking about it again months later. That’s normal, too.What Angelina Jolie’s quote reminds us is that healing isn’t about becoming someone who never gets hurt. It’s about not letting every disappointment turn you into someone you don’t recognise.Interestingly, she touched on similar ideas during her March 31, 2015 interview with ELLE, while discussing Louis Zamperini and the story behind ‘Unbroken’. Her reflections on his life offered another perspective on finding strength through extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
A little about Angelina Jolie’s journey
Born on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, Angelina Jolie grew up around the film industry. Her parents, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, were both actors, so cinema was never too far removed from her childhood.She started acting at a young age and eventually studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. However, her journey wasn’t always straightforward, and she has spoken openly about some of the personal challenges she experienced while growing up.
How Angelina Jolie became a global star
Angelina Jolie first attracted attention through films such as ‘Hackers’ (1995) and ‘Gia’ (1998). Her performance in ‘Girl, Interrupted’ (1999), however, proved to be a major turning point. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.She later became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable faces with projects such as ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ (2001), ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ (2005) and ‘Maleficent’ (2014).Beyond acting, Jolie has also worked as a filmmaker and humanitarian, particularly on issues concerning refugees and displaced communities.Her career has taken her in several different directions, but her thoughts on resilience offer a simple takeaway: we cannot always choose what life throws at us, but we can try to decide what we carry forward from it.
